Today I was once again reminded of a spiritual director, a sober alcoholic for a long time, who spoke to alcoholics and wrote books. I could not want to forget him, because several of us went and heard him speak as well.
One of the stories I remember him, sending to another cleric, about the egg one farmer found and brought home to his hens. When the egg hatched, it turned out to be an eagle. However this eagle grew up with the rest of the flock of hens. It ate from the stuff the farm staff gave to all the hens and went on that way until one day it looked up and saw an eagle flying overhead. This eagle went over to a chief hen and asked what kind of bird that was. And the hen told it that this was an eagle, who was probably out hunting for food. The eagle nodded and thanked the hen and went on eating from what had been given to them. And then one day it passed away, but never knew what it was itself.
The cleric, who read this, changed his spiritual way of life as a result of what his friend had written. He admitted the other cleric was absolutely right. Amazing to say the least.
But it told me that I too had to stop and examine the life I was trying to live. Had I changed for the better? Good question the cleric, who had listened to the other cleric, wanted us to do, who had read this story also.
One of the things I learned in here from my old sponsor was almost the same thing for me. How I needed to change my way of life, and grow along spiritual lines as well as staying sober a day at a time. The story reminded me that I needed to continue to change, if I wanted to stay sober a day at a time…the Second Step, as well as the rest of them.
It was all a reminder of how I had to pay attention to the help I needed from my Higher Power. And it made me very grateful to the God of my understanding. I was also grateful for what this great recovering alcoholic had been in speaking and writing. And, of course my old sponsor, and a lot of those old timers, as well as those in here, who have been helping me along the way.