Latest / Sober Readings / Giving Without Strings
Transcript
- Scott Hayes: Welcome to Sober Readings. Today is Tuesday, the 19th of May. Let's begin today with the Serenity Prayer. God, grant us the serenity to accept the things we cannot change, courage to change the things we can, and the wisdom to know the difference. Today's reading from Daily Reflections. Giving without strings. And he well knows that his own life has been made richer as an extra dividend of giving to another without any demand for a return. That's from As Bill Sees It, page 69. The concept of giving without strings was hard to understand when I first came into the program. I was suspicious when others wanted to help me. I thought, what do they want in return? But I soon learned the joy of helping another alcoholic and I understood why they were there for me in the beginning. My attitudes changed and I wanted to help others. Sometimes I became anxious as I wanted them to know the joys of sobriety, that life can be beautiful. When my life is full of a loving God of my understanding and I give that love to my fellow alcoholic, I feel a special richness that is hard to explain. Today's reading from 24 Hours. May 19, AA Thought for the Day. Fellowship is a big part of staying sober. The doctors call it group therapy. We never go to an AA meeting without taking something out of it. Sometimes we don't feel like going to a meeting and we think of excuses for not going. But we usually end up going anyway. And we always get some lift out of every meeting. Meetings are part of keeping sober. And we get more out of a meeting if we try to contribute something to it. So ask yourself, am I contributing my share at meetings? Today's meditation for the day. He brought me up out of a horrible pit, out of the miry clay and set my feet upon a rock and established my goings. The first part, he brought me up out of a horrible pit, means that by turning to God and putting my problems in his hands, I am able to overcome my sins and temptations. He set my feet upon a rock, means that when I trust God in all things, I have true security. He established my goings. means that if I honestly try to live the way God wants me to live, I will have God's guidance in my daily living. Today's prayer for the day. I pray that my feet may be set upon a rock. I pray that I may rely on God to guide my comings and goings. And for today's final reading, I'm gonna read out of touchstones again, a book of daily meditations. From May 19. The world is full of people looking for spectacular happiness while they snub contentment. Doug Larson. We are men on a quest. We seek the serenity of being friendly toward the world and toward ourselves. The spiritual practices we follow are personal and quiet, not spectacular or dazzling. We have been part of the throng seeking stimulating highs. Some of us know the excitement and escape of saving others from their own troubles or drowning ourselves in activity and work. We may know the mellowness of a drug or food binge. Perhaps we know the heart-pounding intensity of shoplifting, gambling, or sexual pursuit. The way of life suggested by this simple program changes us deeply if we fully surrender to it. The spiritual quest changes us slowly over time. and our reward is contentment. It produces a joy, a feeling of well-being that is far richer than the momentary pleasures we sought in the past. Today, I am grateful for a way of life that leads me toward a contentment I can rely on. And that was the Meditation for the Day from Touchstones, a book of meditations. And I absolutely love that reading. I love the last line. Today, I am grateful for a way of life that leads me toward a contentment. I can rely on. So, what is contentment? Well, I had to look it up. A state of peaceful satisfaction and mental ease. Contentment means accepting your current situation and appreciating what you have rather than constantly craving more. Yeah, that word more. More alcohol, more drugs, more money, more material things. Fill in the blank with whatever you want. My disease wants more. So to me, Contentment means being grateful to live life on life's terms, not mine. And so I hope you enjoyed today's If you did, please do me a big favor and hit that like button, share this episode with someone you think might need it, and drop a comment and let me know what you thought. If you'd like to be a guest reader on the show and help me read some sober literature, I'd love to have you. Just send me an email at soberreadingswithscottatgmail.com and we can make that happen. Also, if you'd like to drop a dollar in the virtual donation basket, just go to soberreadings.com and click the donate button. So thank you so much for listening today. Stay sober, keep reading, and I'll catch you in the next episode. Until then, take care of yourselves and each other, and remember, just for today, don't drink, go to a meeting, and keep coming back. Have a great day, and as my friend Larry says, best day ever.