As the meeting went on today, I got to thinking. We were talking about the Third Step and the Eleventh. Talking about God.
Interesting. What came to mind was something that happened many years ago. I was with my sponsor and we stopped off to see a couple in the program. It was July 4th. As we sat having coffee, the wife said to us, “Who would have thought back a while ago, that on July 4th we would be sitting here and talking about God?”
Who indeed. None of us at the table at least.
Did we really talk about God? Not really. What do we know about God? No, what we talked about was the results we’ve seen from applying this program to our lives. What we’ve experienced since coming here. That’s what we talked about on July 4th and what we really talked about today. In other words the solution.
It’s in the solution that I can see the evidence of my higher power in my life. The God of my understanding in my sober life. And it comes from my willingness to do the footwork in the Steps of this program.
And, what is the solution? It’s spiritual. We’re told that the daily reprieve we receive is dependent on the maintenance of our spiritual condition. Am I sober? Yes. Have I been sober? Yes. For a few twenty-four hours. The evidence. I’ve seen this same evidence in the rooms everyday.
That’s why our talk today, concerning the practice of the Third and Eleventh Step is so important. Once again talking about the solution. Our relationship with God.
I had to laugh, as I was thinking about this. We talk about God a lot, but what are we really talking about? God? Or the results, the evidence, the solution, the spiritual life we’re trying to live?
This is just my thinking. Anyway, it’s obvious to me that what I know about God comes from what he has done for me. I think my old sponsor put it best, when he asked one man how he was doing. The man replied that he was doing well. He said he was sober and still breathing. My sponsor said, “Yes, and you’re not responsible for either one.”