The Alcoholics Anonymous Spiritual Awakening, Part I

Step 12 of the Alcoholics Anonymous program is about having a "spiritual awakening" from following the previous steps discussed in this blog.

The step states that we must carry these inspired addiction-recovery tools to other alcoholics, and we must practice the principles in all our affairs.

Well, I've presumably done the other 11 steps and had a spiritual
awakening, but sometimes I wonder!

What's that all about? Is it about me being my own worst enemy? The committee in my head is arguing about what-ifs, whys and other fictions, not the facts! Maybe the devil still has a chair on my committee!

Sometime way back when I was about a month sober, August of 1976, and committed to doing the program, people would tell me I looked different.

Going to meetings, saying the Serenity Prayer and the Lord's Prayer at the end of these gatherings must have turned the little light on inside and I was able to invite God in.

And it was way OK to be in the fellowship of other "screwed-up" alcoholics and addicts. That counts as a spiritual awakening in my book! There have been many spiritual awakenings since then. If there hadn't been, I probably would not be sitting here writing this.

My wife's AA book has a yellow highlighted message written at the start of chapter 3, "More About Alcoholism," that says, "Grow up or drink." So, keep writing tough-love notes to yourself. It's a spiritual-awakening thing.

At the end of chapter 6, "Into Action," the founding members of Alcoholics Anonymous say, "We alcoholics are undisciplined. So we let God discipline us in the simple way we've just outlined." The 12 steps.

"But this is not all. There is action and more action. Faith without works is dead."

Chapter 7, "Working With Others," is entirely devoted to step 12. "Practical experience shows that nothing will so much insure immunity from drinking as intensive work with other alcoholics. It works when other activities fail.

"This is our twelfth suggestion: Carry this message to other alcoholics! You can help when no one else can. You can secure their confidence when others fail. Remember they are very ill."

Next paragraph: "Life will take on new meaning. To watch people recover, to see them help others, to watch loneliness vanish, to see a fellowship grow up about you, to have a host of friends—this is an experience you must not miss. We know you'll not want to miss it. Frequent contact with newcomers and
with each other is the bright spot of our lives."

Wow! To not want to run away and accept these principles. Additional spiritual awakening, check!

Please check back tomorrow for part two of this blog.