Wisdom For Today - May

[bluidkiti]

May 1

Wisdom for Today
When at last we reach the end of our days, how will we look back on our life on this earth? We can be sure that nothing we have gained here in the way of material possessions, will we take with us. No earthly possession will be ours to take; it all must be left behind. But what of the spirit will be ours for the taking? None of us really know the answer, for this is entirely in God's hands. I like to think that the things we may take with us are the things we gave away. If we have given our love and care to another, perhaps we take this love with us. If we have given of our time to help another in need, perhaps we take this spirit of generosity with us. No one knows for sure. But one thing is for sure. When we reach the end of our time here on earth, we can look back and be pleased; or we can look back and be empty.
This question is what is important for each of us. Am I doing that on which I can look back and be proud? Am I treating my fellow man as I would want him to treat me? Am I generous with my time for those that need it? Am I creating the kind of human relationships that are lasting and truthful? Each of these questions can only be answered one day at a time; but I know that if I work the steps and practice the principles of the program in all that I do, one day I will look back and will feel good about what has been accomplished in my life. So I seek to fill my heart with spiritual things and walk the path that is laid before me. Am I seeking good in all that I do?
Meditations for the Heart
Can I call upon the name of God to help me in all that I do? The answer to this question is most certainly, "yes!" Yet it is such an easy thing to forget. God's Spirit is among us at all times, and He stands ready to help us; all we need do is ask. His Spirit is here to help make us better people. His Spirit is here to guide us on our journey. His Spirit is here to help us when we need it. Not just when we need it most, but in all that we do. Sometimes I seem to forget this and hurry into my day without asking for help. I get headstrong, or I get distracted, and I just do not ask for that which I need. I can really tell the difference in my day when I don't ask for help in what I do. I get more easily frustrated. I get off track. I accomplish less. Sometimes I miss the boat completely. The good news is that I can always start again. I can stop and ask for help anytime and know that it will come. Do I ask for help often enough?
Petitions to my Higher Power
God,
Let me begin this day by turning to you and asking for Your help in all that I do. Give me courage and wisdom to continue to ask for Your help throughout my day. Let me take steps today that add to my spiritual life. Let me seek to help others and to treat all those that I come into contact with as I would want to be treated. Let me seize every opportunity to do good for others in this day.
Amen

[bluidkiti]

May 2

Wisdom for Today
Addiction is not a great teacher. Day after day it reveals more pain and suffering. Still,
in spite of the lessons we are given, we have difficulty letting go of this way of life. We
see the physical, emotional, and social pain. We experience the spiritual emptiness; and
yet we hang on. We continue to hope the next time will be different. We think we will
somehow regain the ability to control our use. Most of us continue on this path until we
finally experience a crisis that gives us a brief wake up call. We are given an opportunity
to break out of the insanity.

Fortunately, the 12-step program is a good teacher. Not only does it teach us how to stop
drinking and drugging, but it also teaches us a new way of living. Through the process of
going to meetings, working the steps and living the principles, we are transformed. The
program teaches us the wisdom of keeping things simple. It teaches us the way to find
freedom and happiness. It opens our eyes to the insanity of our ways and enlightens us with
hope. We learn to fear that first drink, pill, or fix. Do I have any doubt about the power
of addiction?
Meditations for the Heart
Walk humbly in the presence of God. This has become a statement that guides the way I try
to live. At first my understanding of turning it over was very naive. I simply didn’t drink
or use drugs, went to meetings and worked the steps. But over time, I have grown in my
understanding of this principle. Today, I work to recognize that I walk through this life
in the presence of God. He is always around. There is no place that I can hide from Him.
Certainly the bottle and the drugs did not hide me from His presence. I was simply too
wasted to know that He was near, but this did not mean that He was not watching out for me.
As I approach any situation in my life, I try to remember His presence. I attempt to live
life in a way that He would want me to live. His presence has become a guiding principle for
me. Do I know that God walks with me?
Petitions to my Higher Power
God,

Today I understand what a friend You have been in my life. Keep me focused on Your presence
in my life, and help me to make decisions about my life based on this knowledge. Give me
courage for this day; and grant me patience, understanding and wisdom in all that I do. Let
me live this day knowing You are always near.

Amen

[bluidkiti]

May 3

Wisdom for Today
In admitting our addiction, we acknowledge that we are powerless over alcohol and drugs. Yet in making this admission, we are also saying that we recognize that as long as alcohol and drugs are in our life, we will remain unmanageable and out of control. In step two we gain a sense of hope that we can be restored to sanity in our lives. By placing our lives in God’s hands and becoming obedient to His will, we surrender our disease, our lives, and our will. It is here that we learn that we have a choice to not let addiction have power in our lives. This freedom is to be desired more than alcohol and drugs.

We can never fully understand our addiction, its causes, or be rid of our secret faults. Yet the steps warn us this is the only way we can find freedom from the bondage of addiction. We are also told that if we are willing to take these steps, we will know great reward. Yes, recovery promises great rewards, if we are willing to go to any length to gain what the program offers. If we work the steps, addiction loses its power and dominion over us. We learn to live right, and we find the freedom to walk through life without the insanity of the disease. Have I made the choice to not let addiction have power in my life today?
Meditations for the Heart
As a child I recall playing a game of tag, where, if I was about to be tagged, I could yell out, “Force Field” and know that I was safe. This force field was imaginary, but it prevented the person who was it from tagging me. In recovery we have a force field that is real. God can and will shield us from harm's way. None of life’s daggers can cut into our lives and truly harm us when we let God become our force field. This does not mean that life will be problem free. It does mean that any
problem, any scorn from others, or any shame can be kept outside of this force field if we put our trust in our Higher Power. This trust acts as a shield we can attain. It will build an inner peace that will allow us to deal effectively with life’s problems. We learn that resentment has no place in our lives. We find a healthy path to walk on. Do I allow God to be a force in my life?
Petitions to my Higher Power
God,

You have given me the choice to not let addiction have power in my life today. You have shown me a healthy path to walk on. Today I will put my trust in You. I will walk the path set before me with confidence of inner peace. Let me draw on Your strength as I live this day. Guide me to the knowledge of freedom. Let me not become out of sorts with events that happen around me.

Amen

[bluidkiti]

May 4

Wisdom for Today
Sometimes the unexpected happens, things that we just don't count on. Life can take sudden turns, and it is easy to let these sudden changes knock us off track. Change is a part of life. Sometimes these changes occur slowly, and it is easy to adjust; other times it is as if life has thrown us a real curve ball. When things start to get out of whack because of sudden changes in life, I need something I can fall back on. This is why ongoing involvement in the program has become so important to me. The fellowship provides me with two things that I need in these times of sudden change and unpredictability. First there is consistency. If I have a sponsor, a home group, the program, the steps, and a relationship with a Higher Power, these things do not change even when change is happening all around me. The second thing I am provided with is accountability. My recovery support system helps me stay on track even when everything else in my life seems to have derailed.
To be sure, I have yet to encounter anything that has completely overwhelmed me when I was connected to the program in this way. But when I got away from this consistency and accountability and tried to handle things on my own, I ended up in real trouble. None of us would stand inside a burning building without the tools to put the fire out. In the same way, a solid recovery support system can help to put the flames of change out. Do I use my support system to prevent fires in my life?
Meditations for my Heart
Change is difficult because of the unpredictability the comes with it. This unpredictability can bring up feelings of anxiety and fear. In some cases change can bring feelings of anger. Not all change is bad. In fact, many of the changes we experience end up being for the better. Still the process of change can be uncomfortable, even when the outcome is good. Change also brings us to a point where we often have to simply have faith that God will see us through. Faith that He will be there for us when we need Him is important. Faith that we be given the strength, courage, and wisdom that we need to deal with change is needed. Faith that these things will indeed be provided for us if we ask is essential. Do I have faith that He walks with me always?
Petitions to my Higher Power
God,
Life is not always easy and sometimes seems unfair. It can be difficult. Increase in me the faith I need to have in these times of change. Give me patience and inner peace that I may walk through times of change knowing that You are by my side. Let me also be willing to provide consistency and accountability to my fellow addicts and alcoholics when they need it. Let me give freely what has been given to me.
Amen

[bluidkiti]

May 5

Wisdom for Today
There are two days each week that we should not worry about. Two days that we don’t need to fear! Two days that we don’t have any control over! One of these days is yesterday. Yesterday is already gone. Everything that happened yesterday cannot be undone. It is beyond our control. The mistakes that we made yesterday, any cares that we had, any aches and pains, are already over. There is not anything that we can do to go back and change them. Money cannot buy back our yesterday. Prayers cannot undo what has already happened. We cannot take back the words that we said yesterday. We cannot undo a single activity that we have already completed. Yesterday is gone.
The other day that we should not worry about is tomorrow. Tomorrow brings with it all of its possible adversities, all of its promise, and all of its potential burdens. Tomorrow is also beyond our immediate control. We do not know what tomorrow may bring, but we can be certain that tomorrow the sun will rise and set just like any other day. We will not know until tomorrow whether or not we had mistakes in this day at all. It does us no good worry about yesterday or tomorrow. We only have today. We have all of the choices that lay before us this day only. We can only try to do what is right today. Have I stopped worrying about yesterday and tomorrow?
Meditations for the Heart
As for today, worry does us no good either. God has promised that he will only give us what we can handle for this day. He has promised us that he will give us the strength that we need. He will give us courage to fight fears. He will provide inner peace to keep us centered in our day. He does not say that we will never experience temptation; He only has promised us that He will give us the strength, courage, and wisdom to deal with temptation. We only need to put our faith in our trust in Him. With this help we can face anything that happens today. With His help, we can make good choices. Today we live life on life’s terms. Today we look to make progress in our recovery and in our lives. Am I making good choices for today?
Petitions to my Higher Power
God,
I pray that I may face every situation that I face in this day with courage and wisdom. I pray that I may let go of yesterday and not fear tomorrow and live in this day with your guidance and help. Show me the path that I am to take today. Guide each step that I take. Let me place my faith and my trust only and you.
Amen

[bluidkiti]

May 6

Wisdom for Today
Alcoholics Anonymous is not a new program with new ideas. The founders of the program tell us that all the ideas of the program are borrowed. These ideas were borrowed from medicine, psychiatry and religion. The people that started the Program took the ideas that seemed best. This is the same advice that you hear in meetings today. “Take what works and leave the rest. ”It is this very principal that makes the program so adaptable for so many people. In the program we are able to find the things that work for us.
The results speak for themselves. Using the 12 steps has helped thousands and thousands of alcoholics. In the program we find the things that help us to become better people. We do not go to the program to try and make it better. Instead we use the things that we find there that will work for us. This program has everything that we need. In it we find the tools that we’re looking for to help us stay clean and sober. What works for each of us is different. For some of us it is finding out that we suffer from the disease. For others of us it is finding out how our thinking and emotions are all mixed up. For others it is the spiritual aspects of the program that are most important. For some of us we need all of these aspects. Regardless of what we need, we can find it in the program. It is this very taking of what works and leaving the rest that makes this program so powerful for each of us. Do I try and follow the program just as it is?
Meditations for the Heart
It is important for each of us to find meaning and purpose in our life. In the program we are taught to strive for union between our purpose and the purpose of a Higher Power. In finding union between our purpose and purpose of our higher power, we find the direction that we all seek. We can find no bond here on this earth as strong as the bond that exists between a human soul and that of God. It is this union that makes recovery possible. When we take our will and our thinking and align it with that of God, we find the happiness that we seek. When our purpose is one with God, we’re able to accomplish the task of staying clean and sober. But more than this, we find that we’re able to live life fully. We find that we’re able to experience the promises of the program. We find freedom from addiction, not a cure, but freedom. Is my purpose one with God?
Petitions to my Higher Power
God,
As I sit in meetings and talk with other recovering people, I am given pearls of wisdom, clear direction, and hope. I am able to find purpose in my life. I am also able to find Your purpose for my life. Help me this day to align my purpose with Yours. Give me strength to accomplish Your purpose in my life. Help me to continue to find the things that I need in the program. Help me to find a new way of living.
Amen

[bluidkiti]

May 7

Wisdom for Today
We in the program have discovered a common solution. We do not need to go looking for something unique and different. The common solution is what works for us all. This is not to say that we do not have unique needs. Some of us indeed need medical help, and others do not. Some of us need psychological help, and others of us do not. Some are spiritually bankrupt, and others still have an inner faith. All of us need the common solution found in working the steps.
It is through working these steps that we find the freedom we are looking for. We find the freedom from self-will run riot. We find the freedom from the insanity of addiction. We find a new hope and a new way of living. We find a spiritual connectedness to our Higher Power. This common solution is what works. We do not need to improve on this common solution. It has already been shown to work. If it works, don’t fix it. Am I willing to accept this common solution?
Meditations for the Heart
“Praying only for knowledge of His will for us and the power to carry that out.” In seeking out knowledge of His will, I have found no simple answer. Sometimes it is easy. It is simply a matter of what is right and wrong. At other times it has been much more difficult to discern His will. Here I must prayerfully seek and seek until I know in my heart that I am heading in the right direction. Sometimes I can only proceed on faith that I will be shown as I move forward. One thing that has helped me is to think about what the addict and alcoholic in me would do, and then do the exact opposite. Sometimes I find knowledge of His will for me only through effort, and at other times I find it only in rest. Meditation and prayer are the only answer we are given in the steps. For each one of us this is different, but it comes to us in a common solution. Do I seek His will every day?
Petitions to my Higher Power
God,
Today I turn to you for guidance and for strength. Help me to willingly follow the path you lay before me. Let me seek Your way and not my own. Let me humbly walk with you this day.
Amen

[bluidkiti]

May 8

Wisdom for Today
The most important job we have in recovery is to remain completely abstinent from all mood-altering chemicals. Without abstinence, all of our hard work is for nothing. Once we go back to drinking or using, a terrible cycle is set in motion. The truth is that for those of us who have relapsed, we really have no idea why we did it. We may come up with reasons or excuses, but the truth is that when we look deep into our heart, we really have no idea what took us back to drinking and using. Those reasons or excuses may satisfy us for brief period of time, but in the long run why we went back to the insanity makes no sense of all.
At some point in time we all crossed the line. We no longer are normal drinkers or normal users. We have to come to grips with the fact that we have no power to stop our desire. We have no control. When it comes right down to it, we’re powerless. We drink or drug simply because we’re addicted. Abstinence is our first goal but it is not the only one. We soon find out that we have to change our way of living. We discover that we need to change and need to learn to live life differently. We find out that if we want to be happy, we can never go back. There is no problem that we have that drinking or using drugs won’t make worse. Am I satisfied that I have crossed the line?
Meditations for the Heart
When you stop to think about the beauty that was brought out of the chaos of the beginning to this world, and the Power that made all this happen, it is truly amazing. It is this Power that can bring beauty out of the chaos of our addiction. It is this Power that tells the rose when it is time to bloom. It is the same power that tells us what it is time to grow and blossom in our recovery. It is this Power that paints the palettes of our seasons. This same power paints the palettes of our lives. Out of the darkest winters of addiction, He leads us into the light of the new spring. Out of the darkness of our lives, He brings new order and inner peace. This is the gift that is given to us all through His grace. We do nothing to deserve this grace, yet it is given to us freely. Sometimes I ask myself what I should do with this wonderful gift. The only answer for this question is to do what my Higher Power wants the to do with this gift. I need to cherish this gift called recovery and value it more than any other gift I have. Do I value this gift called recovery?
Petitions to my Higher Power
God,
Today I asked that you help me out of any chaos that remains in my life. Help me to find the gift of inner peace. Teach me to grow in the ways that only You know. Help me to grow a wonderful garden in my life. Teach me to share the flowers that bloom in my garden with others. Let me walk through this day being fully convinced that I have crossed the line and can never go back.
Amen

[bluidkiti]

May 9

Wisdom for Today
A recovery program must be built, and to build a program that works we all need tools. Most of the tools we need construct our recovery we do not own when we first walk through the doors of the program. These tools must be borrowed from others and we need others to show us how to use them. But using these tools revolutionizes our whole way of living. Our spiritual attitude towards life changes in remarkable ways. No longer do we attempt to hide, but learn to open up to others. We no longer run, but we learn to face reality and take responsibility for our lives. We no longer scheme and manipulate, but we learn to stand in truth. We realize that we are not the center of the universe; instead we humbly accept our place in the universe.
We find that we are not capable of operating every tool we need in order to construct a solid recovery program. Instead we learn that we must rely on a Higher Power to help us in the things we cannot do for ourselves. Soon we discover that this Power dwells within us, and that He is doing for us what we could not do for ourselves. One day after months or even years of using these tools, our construction project is finished and we can call our program home. But even when our construction is complete we find that there is ongoing maintenance needed. We must care for our new home. Am I letting God help me with the construction of this new home?
Meditations for the Heart
The very moment that we see that something is wrong or in need of repair, our obligation to fix the problem begins. If we notice a small leak in the plumbing or a drain not working properly and we ignore this problem, bigger problems can emerge. If a plug is not working properly, it is a signal that something is wrong. Ongoing maintenance of our recovery program is essential. We have been given this home called recovery, and we have an obligation to care for it. If we do not, over time the home becomes dilapidated. It can even become unlivable, if we let things go completely. Our responsibility is to take care of the gift we have received. We must value this new home. If indeed we do value it and care for it, we will be protected from the storms that life may bring. We will rest secure in the knowledge that our new home will bring us years and years of happiness. Do I take care of problems and needed repair work right away?
Petitions to my Higher Power
God,
Help me this day to be a fellow worker with You in the construction of this new home called recovery. Let me stay alert for problems and needed repair work that may need to be done. Let me not postpone needed work and initiate action as soon as I am aware that work is needed. Teach me to use the tools necessary to do the job right, and let me rely on You to do the work that I cannot do on my own.
Amen

[bluidkiti]

May 10

Wisdom for Today
With addiction there are but two choices. The first is to go on to the bitter end. To do this we must blot out all of the painful memories and reality of our current existence. We also dare not look at the future. If we choose the path of staying with our addiction, we cannot live in the past; we cannot live in today and we cannot live in tomorrow. We can only live in the world filled with self-delusion. With addiction we must continue to try to live in the lie. The existence of living in addiction is intolerable unless we continue to stay completely numb to our own existence.
The other choice is to accept spiritual help. This perhaps is one of the hardest things for an alcoholic or an addict to do. We have lived a life of self-will run riot. In recovery we must learn that we can no longer rely on our will, and learn to follow a Divine will. We need to become willing to maintain a simple attitude toward life. A higher power exists and is here to help us. This is a simple principle; yet is often easier said than done. It is so easy for us to go back to our old ways. We struggle with continually going back to running the show our way. It is not until we’re ready to let go absolutely and turn our will and our life over to the care of God, as we understand Him; that we truly began to make progress. We must learn that our way doesn’t work, and surrendering to His will is the only thing that does. It is in this surrender that we find freedom. Am I making the right choice today?
Meditations for the Heart
Each day we need look in the mirror and examine ourselves. This needs to become a daily ritual for us all. We must examine our character. We must look at our behavior, our thinking, and our intentions. You must look at all of these things in relationship to our daily lives, to those we love, and in relationship to our Higher Power. This daily examination of ourselves should lead us to a recognition of our shortcomings, as well as help us to identify where we have been wrong. Part of our task each day will need to be cleaning up our side of the street. We need to admit our wrongs and then seek to right them. We must examine our lives and make decisions about where we need to grow. Most importantly, we need to determine if we are indeed following God’s will. You must seek to understand the ways in which He wants us to change. We must ask for his help and guidance in making these changes. Recovery is a process of always growing. Am I willing to look in the mirror each day?
Petitions to my Higher Power
God,
Help me this day to examine my life. Help me this day to seize every opportunity for growth. Give me the courage and strength to make progress toward a better life. Help me never to be satisfied with who I am; instead help me to seek who it is You want me to be. Let me live my life today as you would want me to.
Amen

[bluidkiti]

May 11

Wisdom for Today
None of us likes to think we are different. We all want to believe that we are just like everyone else. We fight desperately to hang on to our belief that we can drink or use just like everyone else. But the truth is that we are different. We are different because we react to alcohol and drugs differently than others do. Our bodies, our brain chemistry and our mental response is different. This is what happens with addiction. As long as we hang on to our delusion that we are the same as others, we continue to try and prove it not only to them but also to ourselves. This delusion is characterized by countless vain attempts to show we are like others. We continue to fall face first into failure. This delusion leads us down a road of self-destruction. It also destroys those things we value most, our families, our self-worth, our hope for the future, and all meaning in life.
This delusion must be smashed and destroyed. It has been shown over and over again that an alcoholic or addict cannot ever regain control. We cannot even be cured. We can only arrest the disease and learn how to live normally again in recovery. Addiction is predictable. It will wait. It is patient. Should we fall back into the delusion of relapse, we can only expect things to get worse, never better. We can never return to being normal drinkers or drug users. We can return to being normal in our life. I never thought I would say that I wanted to be normal, but I am glad that I have been given the chance in recovery. Today I will value the normal things of life. Have I given up my delusion of being a normal drinker or user?
Meditations for the Heart
I was grateful to get the chance at a normal life again, but to my surprise what I have is a chance at a truly abundant life. Recovery has bought me so much, and it can bring me even more if I continue on the right path. Life in recovery can be spiritually, mentally, physically and emotionally rewarding. Life can be filled with joy and very powerful. Life can be exciting. All we need to do is accept the gift of abundance in life from God. It is free for all who wish to claim it. This was hard for me at first because I somehow felt that I did not deserve it. The truth is that I don't deserve it, but in His gracious love God grants wonderful things to those who will simply stretch out their hands and accept the gifts He has to offer. These gifts do not always come in the way that we would expect. Often times they come in very simple packages and are simple gifts, but their value is priceless. Some turn their heads and shun the gifts that are offered. Do not let this be true of you. Am I willing to accept these simple gifts?
Petitions to my Higher Power
God,
Do not let me turn my head or shun the gifts that You so freely offer to me in recovery. Grant that I may value these gifts and use them wisely. Let me always value what You have to offer me. Keep me from falling back into the delusion of control. Help me always to trust in Your guidance.
Amen

[bluidkiti]

May 12

Wisdom for Today
Fantasies, doubts and reservations are something I can ill afford with regard to my disease. I cannot afford to have any lurking notion that someday I will be able to go back and safely drink or use. I have no hidden immunity to this disease. Learning more about it will not prepare me to go back. Staying sober and drying out for a period of time does not make me immune. Attending lots of meeting or reading all the program literature cannot prepare me to drink or use successfully. There is no cure. No magic pill will make it go away. I can have no reservations about this. I must know and accept the fact that once an addict, I will always be addicted.
Many of us, if we search, find that we carry still an insane excuse that would make it okay to go back to drinking or drugging. These excuses, no matter how trivial they seem, can lead us back down the path of destruction. We must rid ourselves of all excuses to pick up the bottle or the drugs. Within a short period of time we are back as bad as we were, if not worse. There is no room in our mind or our heart for these excuses. A man does not walk into a shed full of dynamite with a lit match and a blowtorch because it is not windy inside. We cannot risk any excuse. Do I still have any reservations that I can go back?
Meditations for the Heart
None of us can fight this disease alone. In the twelve steps, the very first word in step one is "We." God says that where two or more of us gather, He will be there with us. When we gather at meetings or with our sponsor, or even on the phone and we seek to do His will, God will be with us. He will reveal His plans for us. He will give us guidance. This is the place where the miracles of recovery occur. In union with one another we find strength, wisdom and courage. In fellowship with each other we find answers, truth, and joy. It is in union with each other that we can be one. "WE" become one unified group, with one purpose, and of one mind with God. This is the power of common purpose and group unity. This is what we all should strive for. For it is in doing this that all our excuses are destroyed. All our fantasies and illusions of returning to our old ways are eliminated. Honesty is born in our heart. Am I trying to fight alone?
Petitions to my Higher Power
God,
Shed light on any excuse I may still carry, and give me wisdom and courage to destroy my excuses before they may come back to destroy me. Let me risk unity with my fellow man in the program so that I may find truth and power. Let me experience the miracles of recovery that the program offers. Help me this day to walk in Your light. Take not Your Spirit from me, but fill me with all that is good.
Amen

[bluidkiti]

May 13

Wisdom for Today
Without question, addiction is a very strange disease. One would think that we could stop the insanity on our own, but we cannot. Willpower has proven ineffective. No matter how strong our determination, there is nothing we can do about our desire to drink or use drugs simply by putting our mind to it. Self knowledge will do us no good either. Even if it were possible to figure out why we do what we do, we still are not able to stop the insanity of the disease. All the knowledge and all the desire have proven to fall short time after time. It is as if there is some strange mental blank spot that keeps us from knowing what to do. It is as if there is some inner flaw that we cannot detect that keeps us trapped.
Yet through simple steps we are set free. We cannot hang on to that last flicker of conviction that somehow, someway we will get it right. We must let go of such things as determination, conviction, knowledge or desire being a way out. We must grab onto spiritual principles and recognize that this and this alone can solve our problem. We are completely helpless apart from Divine help. We cannot ask for a cure, as one does not exist. We can only ask for a strong defense. This comes to us from a Power Greater than ourselves. Here and here alone can we find hope, strength, courage and wisdom. Our faith in these spiritual forces is our defense. We must put into action the steps necessary to find freedom. Have I accepted the spiritual answer of action through the steps?
Meditations for the Heart
This program of recovery is a program of action. Yet all the action we must take requires energy and will fatigue us if we do not also rest and recharge. Each of us needs to find ways to rest along the way in our journey. It is only when we rest that glad work can follow. It is only when we are recharged that our energy for this work is renewed. So where do we find this rest? Where do we go to be recharged? God says, "Come to Me and I will give you rest." So this is where I turn when I grow tired in the journey. In prayer we can turn to our Higher Power and seek rest. In allowing others to help us along the way, we become recharged. We give our energy to the work of recovery, and we rest. We receive energy from God and others when we ask for help. God's Spirit is always available to us to strengthen a tired mind or body. We can rest in His arms, and we can find strength. We gain energy for the new day in communion with others. This is why we go to these meetings. Have I found it safe to rest in His arms? Am I recharged for the journey by attending meetings and talking with others?
Petitions to my Higher Power
God,
I pray that this energy I receive will make me effective in the work You want me to do. Grant me strength for the journey before me today. Let me use the spiritual tools I am given. Grant me needed rest as I walk this path and encourage me to move back into action when I need to. Let me be free on self-will and seek only to follow Your direction for me this day.
Amen

[bluidkiti]

May 14

Wisdom for Today
When you look at the reality of our position in life, we really are not in a bad place at all. I watch people struggle all the time with problems that come up in life. They are the same kinds of problems that we have to deal with, but they do not have a program to help them deal with these problems. We, on the other hand, have steps and a fellowship of people to fall back on. I can be dealing with the exact same kinds of problems as others who are not in recovery, and my perspective on these problems can be very different. They may become overwhelmed by the problems, and I know that I can only deal with life one day at a time. This gives me a very different perspective on life.
I know I can only accomplish so much in any given day. Each day I can do my best with the tasks before me; and I know that if I do this, my problems will eventually be taken care of. Even some of the problems that I have had to face that seemed huge at the time got smaller and smaller as time went on. I have learned to rely on my friends in the program to also help me gain proper perspective on life and the problems that come with it. When I get wrapped up in the emotions of my day, I can count on my friends in the program to help me sort things out. I have learned how to use the steps and the principles of the program. The slogans, the prayers, the words of wisdom I hear are all available to me and help me each day. I have learned to be grateful for life, even the problems, as each experience I face clean and sober teaches me a lesson. Am I practicing the principles in all my affairs?
Meditations for the Heart
In recovery we learn how to deal with life on life’s terms. We learn that we do not need to live any longer in the extremes. We find that we do not need to face any situation alone. Life continues onward, there is nothing we can do to stop life from occurring, but we find that we can change how we react to life. We can seek solitude with our Higher Power and seek His wisdom and strength to walk through our days. We learn about, “Easy does it.” We do not need to work harder at life, just smarter. The advantages that this brings us are indeed phenomenal. It simply works. I do not know if I ever will be able to fully understand what has happened to me because of the program, but I do not have to. I just need to keep doing the next right thing. I know that the answers I need will be there for me when I need them. I know that God will be there for me always. I can always count on the program and the fellowship to help me; all I need do is ask. Am I trusting what works?
Petitions to my Higher Power
God,
Help me this day to keep a good perspective on life. Help me to use the tools I have been given. Let me seek out help whenever I need it. Let me seek wise counsel from those in recovery that can help me. Let me seek You out in prayer as I walk through life and use your strength and guidance in all that I do.
Amen

[bluidkiti]

May 15

Wisdom for Today
For the atheist or agnostic, the program can be a hard pill to swallow. All the talk of God, a Power Greater, and spirituality can make involvement with a twelve-step program very difficult. But the reality is that all addicts and alcoholics must find a Power outside of ourselves if we want to recover. Our own power does not work. We have tried and tried our way, and it does not work. We lack the power needed to overcome our compulsion to drink and use. To continue on a path of self-reliance means certain disaster. This dilemma of choosing between self-reliance and a Power Greater is difficult but not impossible.
The simple fact is this: All of us have already turned our will and our life over to a power outside of our self. We all have turned our lives over to alcohol or drugs. Each of us have had the experience of doing things against our own wishes when we were drinking or using drugs. For some of us we have turned our life over to a Judge and jury. Some of us have turned our lives over to a hospital or institution. These powers did not stop us from drinking or using. They may have been a temporary fix, but soon we were right back at it. We must find the Power Greater that works. It is a tough choice for many, but it is a choice that leads us out of the insanity of addiction. This choice gives us a Power by which we can live. Have I found a Power Greater, by which I can live my life in recovery?
Meditations for the Heart
God’s grace is like sunshine for the soul. We all have walked through the storms of addiction; we searched for shelter from the ravages of this storm and found none. It was not until we found this grace that the sun shone in our lives again. Now we learn to walk in this new light, a light that was hidden from us behind the storm clouds. Although it was hidden, it was there all the time. We simply ask that this light be revealed to us. Only this Power outside of us can reveal this new light to us. It is not something that we can do for ourselves. It is only when we allow ourselves to be enveloped in this Divine sunshine that we can see beyond the darkness of addiction. Faith is the breathing in of this sunshine and holding it deep within. This sunshine does wonders for the soul. It brings healing to our brokenness. It shines brightly on the path that we must take in order to stay clean and sober. Have I found this sunshine in my life?
Petitions to my Higher Power
God,
None of us can truly come to You on our own. All I can do is ask that Your grace shine brightly in my life. I am ever grateful that You have given me new light in my life. Help those that struggle with finding You in the darkness that they may walk in this sunshine also. Let me begin my day in this new sunrise and walk the path that You have chosen for me.
Amen