I couldn’t help but think of Bill W. and Dr. Bob today. We were talking about passing the message on and I was reminded of them and how they started this program.
I mean, there they were, Bill struggling to stay sober and Dr. Bob needing to get sober. And it worked for both of them. And it struck both of them that they needed to continue to do what they did for each other, if they wanted to stay sober. So, they continued to try to work with others and over time the program began to grow. Slowly, but grow.
I was told by my sponsor and those old timers what the BB told us. To carry the message to alcoholics seeking to get sober. Doesn’t mean they will, but nevertheless by doing this I can get out of myself and renew myself each time I get the opportunity. If I don’t, I’m headed for trouble.
And the trouble may be that the program I have can start to erode inside of me. By not sharing I can begin to get stale and I might even go back out again. I would probably get tired of going to meetings and drop out. Then I could find myself living on the edge and just might turn over.
No, at least for me, Bill and Dr. Bob are the perfect examples of just how this program works. Every opportunity to carry the message to alcoholics was what they did. That’s why I continue to go to meetings and to try to practice, not just the Twelfth Step, but the Fifth Tradition. To carry the message to the alcoholic, who still suffers. And, as I have found out, it may be an old timer, who is going through trouble within and without of himself.
Anyway, I had to stop and think and share about this today, as it was the topic of the meeting. I can always remember how it was when I came in. I was freely given what the old timers were willing to share with me. I know it changed my life. Over time I stopped living the way I had been living and thinking. The result was that I had a spiritual awakening, I was restored to sanity, I was graced with the Promises in the Ninth Step, and have found a new way of life.
That doesn’t mean that I don’t still run into problems. I am always reminded of what the BB and my sponsor pointed out to me. I’m still a human being and not a saint. Spirituality is still going up hill. I can find myself often stumbling over my faults and defects. And I had to learn to do what my sponsor told me. To pick myself up, dust myself off, and keep on keeping on. To start my day over each and every time.
Anyway, a good reminder to renew my thoughts on why I am here. I’m here to stay sober a day at a time. And I am grateful for all I have been given and need to say thanks to my Higher Power, my old sponsor, and all those in here, who have helped me through the years.