One of the things that strikes me is time. For instance we all talk about a day at a time, when we discuss staying sober. We also talk about time, when we want to stay out of trouble. We tell people to stay in the moment and not wander off into the future or the past. We tell others that time takes time. That working the program is not an overnight event. And I remember a bar in New Your city, which had a sign over the mirror behind the bar that said free drinks tomorrow. And when alcoholics would show up they would be told that they weren’t giving drinks away because it was today and not tomorrow.
Another thought about time is that over time amazing changes take place in the lives of alcoholics like myself. In fact that’s exactly what I was thinking about today. I stayed home today and this is what crossed my mind as I was sitting here thinking about staying sober.
One of the great gifts given to me was the time my sponsor and others gave to me to help me to stay sober. I can never forget their unselfish commitment to help people like myself. They went out of their way and sacrificed their time to freely give to me what it was that I needed to stay sober. It always reminded me of what we are told in here, to freely give away what was so freely given to us, if we want to stay sober. My experience has proved this to be a fact.
Another gift over time was what I was given, when I finally surrendered and became willing to work this Second Step in here. I found that this is what opened the door to this program for me. It was what happened when I became willing and started to begin to live this spiritual way of life. A way of life which began to completely change me. That I never want to forget.
It was this that which introduced me to my Higher Power and helped introduce me to what I found was necessary for me to stay sober. I became aware of the fact that I needed to put these Steps into action in my life. And like so many in this program, over time, I began to experience the rewards offered to us in here. For instance the restoration to sanity. The spiritual awakening. The Promises in the Ninth Step. And many things, like easements to deal with my character defects. Over time they have changed. Whenever they appear because I am still human, they are not as bad. Still a problem but not like they were.
Over time I have changed. Like I hear others at meetings and sometimes sharing in private
talking about the happiness they have found in here. The peace of mind. The serenity they have been given. The opportunities to exercise love and compassion in their giving this program away to others like themselves. Just like my sponsor and those old timers I knew.
Today I was thinking about how much time I have been given in staying sober and the fact that I still am alive today. Like so many often say that it’s beyond my wildest dreams. And all I have ever had to do was what I was told. I have to do like so many, stop and give thanks to my Higher Power and all those in here, who have reached out and supported me.