This afternoon I was thinking about the pure gold, which has been given me, as the result of having come into this program. It’s my bottom and all else which transpired in my past life drinking. At any given time, when I need it, when working with another, I can call this up and give it to the person who needs it.
At the meeting today, someone was “coming back” from a drink. When called upon, I had the opportunity of opening that door to the past again and was able to recount my bottom as it happened. All those old memories were vivid in my mind, as I described my final drink and what happened. Hopefully, the person who was suffering through their bottom heard this and was able to identify with their own descent into hopelessness that the drink would ever work for them again.
I was reminded of the words on page 164 that we can’t give what we haven’t got. As I thought of those words, I prayed that I had gone back and got what was needed to help the alcoholic, who had forgotten the first step. Because they must have forgotten they were powerless over alcohol and forgotten what had brought them here originally.
My sponsor must have done a good job on me, because I remembered to go back and tell them what I had learned, not only from my experience, but also from the instructions given us. It was all in there in the first step in the 12&12, what it tells us why we need a bottom, if we’re to stay sober. Who else would do the necessary steps to achieve sobriety, unless they realized they were going to die, if they keep on drinking?
Anyway, I was thinking of this treasury we all have deep within in us. How we can drum it up whenever we need to and how much of a benefit it can be for others, if they want it. It’s our experience, strength, and hope. It came to us at a high price, but what we purchased with it is beyond value.