Today was one of those days, when helping each other was very clear. Talking to others made that very clear for me. And it opened the door within to realize how much we need to be open to others like ourselves.
Injuries and deaths were what helped to begin to find the willingness within me. I had to listen to a lot. It led me to prayers within and helped me to open my heart and perhaps help others. I know I had to reach back within my life in here and recall what others did to help me, when I was going through similar things. And once again the phrase “freely giving” came back. I was many times freely given by others and now I needed to freely give to others.
Once again I was opened to the Second Step. In fact in the middle of some of this I had to go to a meeting. And when the leader asked for a topic, my first response inside of me was the Second Step. I have often gone to that Step, because of how much my old sponsor opened the door for me to this Step and the spiritual way of life. Not easy to forget. It introduced me to my Higher Power and this way of life.
So, among other things, we talked about spirituality. Prayer and meditation. Our own thoughts and methods. Especially in meditation and contemplation. Even spiritual thoughts as expressed in this program. So we talked about our defects. Our emotions and their effects on us. An inventory and then the Eleventh Step. And our expression of gratitude for what we were experiencing.
And then being willing to express our thoughts on the needs of others. And just the thoughts on this brought up the memories of how long this has been going on within the program for those, who were opening up. It made me think about the help my Higher Power could provide for all of us.
Anyway I had to do what was the subject today. Gratitude. I walked around that in my remarks today. I didn’t want to express what was going on. Just to be able go back and remember how much help I had been given by my sponsor and those old timers, which helped me to change my life. Never ever can forget any of that. It helped me to settle down and begin practicing living a sober way of life a day at a time. Changed everything. And I am truly grateful.