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Sun, Apr 23, 2006 07:45:36 AM


α the POWER that helps keep me clean α
posted: Sun, Apr 23, 2006 07:45:36 AM

 

i have gone through all kinds of different phases with this topic. when i first came to recovery i certainly had a problem with the whole concept of a higher power of any sort. then i took a suggestion from my first sponsor. he made me look into my life and see what powers were greater than me, and keeping me clean. my inventory included my probation officer, my employer, my family, and the judge who gave me the three year sentence to abstinence from drugs. going over that brief list, he just sort of mentioned that maybe i should include the fellowship and then choose one of those as a HIGHER POWER. well as pissed-off as i was in those early days, the last thing i was willing to do was to give any more power to the justice system or my employer or my family than they already had! so that only left the fellowship! i had problems with the fellowship thing at first, after all how did i know that they were not lying about being clean! a bit of mind shift was required here. i was miserable about being abstinent and my life truly sucked BIG TIME.
so i finally reached that point of desperation, where i was willing to look for something more. i once again looked at the fellowship, only this time i looked at it in its entirety, rather than the sum of its parts. sure it was made up of human beings, but as a whole, they offered me a way of life that seemed to be more attractive than the shit my life was at that time. no matter how pissed-off i was they never told me to go away. and the most amazing part was that when i asked a question about how to do this whole recovery thing, they offered confusing but practical suggestions. so i finally had the first bit of acceptance that led to the continuing development of my HIGHER POWER. the evolution of that concept across the course of my recovery has led to all kinds of new insights and even today i more than likely use the term HIGHER POWER rather than GOD. but no matter what term i use, what i am saying is really shorthand for THE POWER THAT KEEPS ME CLEAN AND PROVIDES FOR ALL MY NEEDS. it is the power that provides me what ever tool or skill i need to maintain my recovery right now. so the time has come to leave the hotel room and see what the day will bring secure in the knowledge that whatever i choose to call it, A HIGHER POWER will provide the means for me to stay clean today!

∞ DT ∞

 

djtConsulting Brand
The views expressed on this page are solely the opinion of the author.
While the author is a member of a 12 Step recovery fellowship, these writings are not intended to endorse or express the published wisdom of any fellowship.
These writings are not meant to be socially or politically correct, and if you take issue with any opinions expressed, please seek the guidance of someone wiser than me.

Another Look!

α i may doubt the existence of any sort of POWER greater than myself. ω 562 words ➥ Monday, April 23, 2007 by: donnot
∞ if i am not comfortable with what i learned when i was growing up, i can try a different approach to my spirituality. ∞ 466 words ➥ Wednesday, April 23, 2008 by: donnot
α i do not have to understand everything all at once or find the answers to all my questions right away ω 551 words ➥ Thursday, April 23, 2009 by: donnot
α many may enter recovery with a working understanding of a Higher Power Ω 494 words ➥ Friday, April 23, 2010 by: donnot
〈 i have come to understand God to be simply THE force keeps me clean 〉 628 words ➥ Saturday, April 23, 2011 by: donnot
¢ i DO remember very uncomfortable experiences with religion ¢ 299 words ➥ Monday, April 23, 2012 by: donnot
≥ all i EVER have to know about a HIGHER POWER, ≥ 582 words ➥ Tuesday, April 23, 2013 by: donnot
‡ starting over in recovery means ‡ 634 words ➥ Wednesday, April 23, 2014 by: donnot
» for me, however, « 650 words ➥ Thursday, April 23, 2015 by: donnot
☯ a GOD ☸ 823 words ➥ Saturday, April 23, 2016 by: donnot
😵 i need not 😶 674 words ➥ Sunday, April 23, 2017 by: donnot
🍑 my belief, 🍋 430 words ➥ Monday, April 23, 2018 by: donnot
🗱 the POWER that 🗜 500 words ➥ Tuesday, April 23, 2019 by: donnot
“ the **GOD** stuff ” 465 words ➥ Thursday, April 23, 2020 by: donnot
👶 understanding 👶 448 words ➥ Friday, April 23, 2021 by: donnot
🙏 a POWER that 🙏 378 words ➥ Saturday, April 23, 2022 by: donnot
💯 the value 👌 453 words ➥ Sunday, April 23, 2023 by: donnot
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☯ The Tao that can be spoken is not the eternal Tao ☯

THE TAO TEH KING, OR THE TAO AND ITS CHARACTERISTICS
by Lao-Tse
Translated by James Legge

Book 2

2) There is always One who presides over the infliction death. He
who would inflict death in the room of him who so presides over it
may be described as hewing wood instead of a great carpenter. Seldom
is it that he who undertakes the hewing, instead of the great carpenter,
does not cut his own hands!