Meditating on this disease which we all have. Alcoholism. One thing for sure is that there is no cure for this. It’s with us day and night for a lifetime. The only solution to it is, for me, for us, a spiritual awakening, which will neutralize the insanity, freeing me from the alcohol which possessed me. But the rest of the problems are still with me and may be handled by the Twelve Steps and my Higher Power, working through my fellow alcoholics. In other words, as in the Fifth Tradition, a spiritual solution.
One of the things I’ve learned in here is that, even though the thought of a drink is gone, it’s still hidden deep within me. In my cells, my unconscious mind. And that as I progress in living a sober life, my alcoholism is progressing right along with me. If I were to pick up a drink again, it would not be where I left off. It would be where I am today. In other words it has aged with me. And if anything is necessary to convince me I never want to go back there again, it’s right there.
I get kidded a lot because I often have referred to the Second Step. But it’s that Step, which opened the door to this spiritual life in this program. It was the key to the rest of the Steps. Having surrendered and accepted the First Step, lacking power to really do anything, I gained a power greater than myself, who could empower me to live this sober life. My Higher Power, who could give me the grace necessary to do what is necessary to even live life itself, let alone a sober life.
The amazing thing is I’m given what I need to grow along spiritual lines. The maintenance of my spiritual condition, which is the basis of my sobriety. Things happen which get my attention and, as a result, my hope and my faith are reinforced. Not just one spiritual awakening, but many, as I trod this path. Not as thoroughly, as stated in How It Works, but enough to not fail.
I was talking to a friend the other day about the beginning of this program and both of us remembered the letter Bill W. wrote to Dr. Carl Jung (There Is A Solution) on the death of the young man in that chapter. In it he attributes the beginning of AA to Dr. Jung. It was him, who introduced the spiritual solution to our disease, which eventually was included in the Steps, which lead us to that solution. And that’s where the Second Step comes in.
For me and so many it is all about a miracle. Wonderful. And time for me to say thanks many times over.