Our fearless leader at Sunday's meeting led a discussion of Step Two, "We came to believe that a power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity."
It was great to hear these words from one of our members, which explains the Step so well, "First I came, then I came to, then I came to believe."
It was great to hear these words from one of our members, which explains the Step so well, "First I came, then I came to, then I came to believe."
Like the author of CTC's reading today, first I came to my meetings and listened and asked questions. Taking my body to a meeting came ahead of my faith. Then, after days and weeks, slowly, one day at a time, I "came to." For me it was a process of becoming aware of the good at work around me.
Interestingly, my journey toward a Higher Power was aided and abetted by an atheist Sponsor, nearly twenty years ago. My journey of connecting with a Higher Power has been very subtle. Today, my Higher Power's wisdom is directly accessible in many of the books I am moved to choose, online or in the library.
The dawning of my awareness came in looking ahead and practicing step eleven. Gratitude was my prayer, my affirmation of my life's purpose. It was through gratitude that I came to believe that I wasn't alone in the universe. "There was and is a force, a drive, an energy that can give me the meanse to make my life joyous and productive. I need only ask for assistance and keep an open mind."
Faith for me is best seen as a process. It grows stronger each day I keep myself open to it.
"It is the repetition of affirmations that leads to belief. And once that belief becomes a deep conviction, things begin to happen." Muhammad Ali
Faith is a process for me too. I had no Higher Power, except myself and other people, before Al-Anon. Now I know that those expectations of others were unreal. I know God as my Higher Power today.
ReplyDeleteI think it's taken me over a dozen years to realize FEAR was the Higher Power I worshipped, prior to coming into program. Glad to say, I am in the process of putting that HP out to pasture...
ReplyDelete