We are not saints. Those words ring out at every meeting. Of course, a line from the BB comes in and makes me laugh. The words “we seemed to have been born that way”.
Bill’s words that we are to strive for perfection and that we will never be as pure as the driven snow, also, were on my mind today. Why? Suppose we did become saints. became perfect, and were pure as the driven snow? What would happen next? For one thing, I wouldn’t need this program anymore. I’d be far above it. Secondly, no one would be able to identify with me and I’d have no one to talk to anymore. And thirdly, being such a saint and above it all, I could think I was immune to alcohol. After all, what could touch a saint?
No thank you. I’m content to be the imperfect klutz I am. After all that’s what the spiritual life is all about. Striving. The spiritual life is not a theory. That’s what we’re told. It has to be lived. And living that life, a day at a time, is what this program is all about. It’s how I have been able to stay sober. Just the ordinary day to day things, made spiritual by dedicating my day to do God’s will, as I understand it. Trying and not necessarily succeeding, as the 12th Step reminds me. And, of course, not taking a drink, which I believe is the most spiritual thing I can do.
I’ve often thought that I did not come here to be a saint. I only came to get freedom from the slavery of alcohol. But I found, as did everyone who came and got sober, that there was more than just stopping drinking. Staying stopped was the problem. And the only way to stay stopped I found was to find and lead a spiritual life. And then you all gave me the program, the Steps. That’s how.
Anyway, I was thinking about this. How we all stay sober today. We try to practice these priniples in all of our affairs and thus maintain our spiritual condition.