Latest / Sober Readings / True Brotherhood
Transcript
- Scott Hayes: Welcome back to Sober Readings. Today is Sunday, the 5th of April. Today's reading from Daily Reflections. True Brotherhood. We have not once sought to be one in a family, to be a friend among friends, to be a worker among workers, to be a useful member of society. Always we tried to struggle to the top of the heap or to hide underneath it. This self-centered behavior blocked a partnership relation with any one of those about us. Of true brotherhood, we had small comprehension. That's from the 12 Steps and 12 Traditions page 53. This message contained in step 4 was the first one I heard loud and clear. I hadn't seen myself in print before. Prior to my coming into AA, I knew of no place that could teach me how to become a person among persons. From my very first meeting, I saw people doing just that, and I wanted what they had. One of the reasons that I'm a happy, sober alcoholic today is that I'm learning this most important lesson. Today's reading from 24 Hours. April 5, AA Thought for the Day. People often ask what makes the AA program work. One of the answers is that AA works because it gets a person away from himself as the center of the universe. And it teaches him to rely more on the fellowship of others and on strength from God. Forgetting ourselves in fellowship, prayer, and working with others is what makes the AA program work. So ask yourself, are these things keeping me sober? today's meditation for the day. God is the great interpreter of one human personality to another. Even personalities who are the nearest together have much in their natures that remains a sealed book to each other. And only as God enters and controls their lives are the mysteries of each revealed to the other. Each personality is so different. God alone understands perfectly the language of each and can interpret between the two. Here we find the miracles of change and the true interpretation of life. And today's prayer for the day. I pray that I may be in the right relationship to God. I pray that God will interpret to me the personalities of other people so that I can understand them and help them. And for today's final reading, we're going back to the grapevine from this month, April of 2026. And on page 54 is a story titled, Invisible Leash. I was at a meeting this morning and the topic was change. Yes, change. Ugh. Change is inevitable in life. But thanks to AA, I have learned some tips and techniques for change management. The most effective being let go and let God. On a good day, I can now accept change with grace and dignity. Move on. Do the next right thing. Change is no longer to be feared or dreaded. but embraced with the attitude that could be summed up as, cool, let's see what happens next. I was once told that I can either get to where God wants me to be by kicking, screaming, digging in my heels and being dragged along, or I can let go and let God lead me where he wants me to go. This made me think of my little dog. For all intents and purposes, I am his higher power. I make sure his needs are met. what I get in return is unconditional love. However, sometimes he does not want to go where I'm leading him. He will stop in his tracks, lock his little legs, and resist. Maybe he found something he perceives as more interesting than my guidance. Or maybe he found something like a discarded chicken bone that I know is dangerous and that I should get him away from. I can pull him by his leash and make him come. Sometimes, I even need to actually pick him up and change his environment for him to come along. Whatever works to get his attention. My God can do the same with me. My life circumstances will change, or some event or person will be introduced into my daily existence that alters the course I think I want to take. Inevitably, I find that when I accept change and go along with where I'm being led, it's exactly what my life needed at the time. Often I don't know what's best for me any more than my little dog knows what's best for him. Heaven forbid I get myself off leash, off the beam, seemingly free to roam the dangerous neighborhood of life on my own. My higher power might try various ways to get my attention through the words of a terrific speaker at an AA meeting or a seemingly unexplained coincidental encounter. That's just like me trying to coax my dog back with squeaky toys or promises of treats or pleas when he gets off leash and wanders off into dangerous territory. However, I'm not a dog, and my higher power is not going to chase me around the neighborhood to let me get close to the right path only to watch me skip off as though this life is some kind of game. My higher power will patiently wait for me to come back when I'm ready. I used to have a wallet card with a picture of a cartoon guy laughing with a caption that read, If you're not feeling close to God, who moved? Thank God I finally understand what that means. Aloha. And that was written by Deborah G. in Honolulu, Hawaii. And so that's it for today's episode of Sober Readings. If you enjoyed the show, please do me a huge favor. Hit the like button and share this episode with someone who might need it. Drop a comment and let me know what you thought. and make sure you're following or subscribed so you never miss the next episode. And if you're someone who loves to read sobered literature, I would love to have you as a guest reader on the show. Just shoot me an email at soberreadingswithscott at gmail.com and we can make that happen. And if you'd like to drop a dollar in the virtual donation basket, just go to my website soberreadings.com and click the donate button. So again, thank you so much for listening. Stay sober, keep reading, and I'll see 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 Larry says, best day ever.