Today I could not stop thinking about prayer and its effect on people like me. Alcoholics, maintaining their sobriety. Just how prayer gets us through difficult times and helps us to stay away from that next drink.
It was already on my mind, when a very kind member drove me to the hospital this afternoon. We were talking all the way to the bottom of the hill near the facility, when she reached her hand over and grabbed mine and said, “Let’s say a prayer”. We did.
Things turned out fine in the ER. I felt at peace, as I was examined and tested, and waited for the results. About two hours or more. No anxiety and a sense of serenity. Amazing.
Yesterday I talked to a couple of people, who were struggling. We talked about the solution. Spiritual. Prayer and meditation. Later I heard from them and they had achieved peace of mind and were able to walk through difficult situations. None of the anxieties they had suffered through before.
Earlier today I attended a Chip Day meeting for those marking their anniversaries. From 24 hrs. to 35 years. In response to their receiving their chips, many talked about what had gotten them sober and kept them that way. The 12 Steps, of course, but the spiritual way of life they led as a result. Key to that? Many spoke of the influence of their Higher Power. And I thought, sought through prayer and meditation to improve our conscious contact with the God of our understanding.
I also could not forget how praying for others has helped me. The sick and the suffering friends and relatives in my life. But also the many members close and dear to me over the years in here. None of that was true before I stepped through these doors. How those 12 Steps and this program have changed me. How much the grace of my Higher Power has empowered me to live this way of life.
Anyway, I was thinking about this and the effect prayer has had on my being able to stay sober one day at a time.