What about the “now”? The present moment? I was thinking about the spiritual solution and being in the present moment. Someone wondered about that and I had to go back and think about this.
I was talking to another man today about this and told him that what comes to mind is a song. It was written by Cole Porter and it’s entitled I Concentrate On You. I told him I often think, when I listen to this, about my higher power. I concentrate on Him. And the only way I can do that is to be in the present moment.
Often times I want to get in conscious contact with the God of my understanding, but just as often my mind goes off to someplace else and I’m not concentrating on what I’m saying or trying to be in His presence. One of my defects of character. How often I will be saying a prayer and am suddenly surprised that I’m at the “Amen” of the prayer, because my mind has been someplace other than the prayer.
Nevertheless, I do understand that my higher power was who got me sober. I have no question in my mind about that. I also know from my experience that so many solutions I needed have not come from me, but I believe from my higher power. The spiritual awakenings I have had, the same.
The other thing I was thinking about was the word “humility”. When I approach my higher power, to be willing to place whatever in His hands, letting go and letting God, I need to get out of the way. I need to learn to surrender and accept what’s going on. And it’s usually pain that gets me there. To remember I’m nothing special. Just another drunk, who is in need of His help.
The spiritual life is not a theory the BB tells me. But it does have to be lived. And that’s in the present moment. Right now. When I ask for help with others, whose needs are made known to me, I’m powerless to change their lives and situations, but I believe that God can do for them what I can’t. And still I have to remind myself that it’s not my will, but His.
Anyway, as I was thinking about this and thinking about others, who are struggling, all this came to mind. And it’s this way of life, a sober life, which has made it possible for me to even think this way. The result of working these 12 Steps and having a spiritual awakening. Being restored to sanity, at least as far as alcohol is concerned.