Latest / Sober Readings / A Lifelong Task
Transcript
- Scott Hayes: Good morning, this is Sober Readings for Thursday, the 5th of March. Today's reading from Daily Reflections. A lifelong task. But just how, in these circumstances, does a fellow take it easy? That's what I want to know. That's from the 12 Steps and 12 Traditions, page 26. I was never known for my patience. How many times have I asked, why should I wait, when I can have it all right now? Indeed, when I was first presented the 12 Steps, I was like the proverbial kid in a candy store. I couldn't wait to get to step 12. It was surely just a few months work, or so I thought. I realize now that living the 12 steps of AA is a life-long undertaking. Today's reading from 24 Hours, March 5th, AA Thought for the Day. Sometimes we try too hard to get this program. It is better to relax and accept it. It will be given to us with no effort on our part if we stop trying too hard to get it. Sobriety can be a free gift of God, which he gives us by his grace when he knows we are ready for it. But we have to be ready. Then we must relax and take it easy. and accept the gift with gratitude and humility. We must put ourselves in God's hands. We must say to God, here am I and here are all my troubles. I've made a mess of things and can't do anything about it. You take me and all my troubles and do anything you want with me. So ask yourself today, do I believe that the grace of God can do for me what I could never do for myself? The meditation for the day. Fear is the curse of the world. Many are men's fears. Fear is everywhere. I must fight fear as I would a plague. I must turn it out of my life. There is no room for fear in the heart in which God dwells. Fear cannot exist where true love is or where faith abides. So I must have no fear. Fear is evil, but Perfect love casteth out all fear. Fear destroys hope, and hope is necessary for all of mankind. The prayer for the day. I pray that I may have no fear. I pray that I may cast all fear out of my life. And finally today a reading from As Bill Sees It. Today we're reading from page 252. Alone No More. Alcoholism was a lonely business, even though we were surrounded by people who loved us. But when our self-will had driven everybody away and our isolation became complete, we commenced to play the big shot in cheap bar rooms. Failing even in this, we had to fare forth alone on the street to depend upon the charity of passersby. We were trying to find emotional security either by dominating or by being dependent upon others. Even when our fortunes had not totally ebbed, we nevertheless found ourselves alone in the world. We still vainly tried to be secure by some unhealthy sort of domination or dependence. For those of us who are like that, AA has a very special meaning. In this fellowship, we begin to learn right relations with people who understand us. We don't have to be alone. anymore. That's from the 12 and 12, pages 116 to 117. And that's it for today's readings. Thanks for listening. Send me your thoughts and your comments at soberreadingswithscott at gmail.com or check out my website soberreadings.com. While you're there, if you want to drop a dollar in the donation basket for today's readings, click that donate button. Again, thanks for listening. 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.