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Sat, Sep 24, 2005 09:59:54 AM


α larger than my problems α
posted: Sat, Sep 24, 2005 09:59:54 AM

 

so twice in the past week i have gotten to think about the nature of my understanding about GOD, although earlier this week the just for today reading was more about prayer and my relationship with GOD, today i get to think about my understanding of my concept of GOD.
well today i do not believe in Santa God, or Magic God, or Lawyer God, or Trickster God or even vengeful GOD. some or none of those characteristics may comprise my current understanding as it has evolved from approaching God speaking latin in my youth, but none of those are even close to what my understanding is coming to be. i finally realize to the core of my spirit that the second step is not an event but a lifetime process.
intellectually, i thought i understood this, but the reality of the situation for me has been that i take my understanding and beliefs out of their nice neat container when required, flip them around, poke a bit at them, maybe take them apart and rebuild them and when i was finished, put them away for the next time. and you know every time i did this i had to find a new container cause that old understanding failed to fit anymore.
the events in my life over the past year have got me thinking about the container itself. why bother with all the time and effort of restructuring my belief system to fit my new understanding. why not allow both my understanding and the structure of my beliefs to morph as they will in response to my experiences along the path of recovery? well that implies giving up another piece of control or at least the illusion of control. truthfully that is what has been happening since the dawn of my consciousness, regardless if i thought so or not. the effort of examining and refitting is an artificial construct i added to a natural process to make me feel in control. truthfully there is a whole lot less effort in allowing things to change as they will, but that means i have to face the unknown with FAITH and HOPE, two principles inherent in the second step and two that i have the most difficulty practicing without effort. perhaps the time has come to let go of the control i think i have and see what happens. perhaps this is the last realization i need to come to before tackling my third step. and perhaps i can be happy, joyous and free, if i let whatever the God of my understanding is at this moment do the work that is needed. after all this reading reminds us that GOD is larger than any and all of my problems.
so just for right now i will let the container of my belief system collapse and let it be rebuilt by a force outside of myself, namely my ever changing, evolving understanding of GOD.
:) 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 the loving GOD i come to believe in is infinite, and the power and love i find in my belief Ω 435 words ➥ Sunday, September 24, 2006 by: donnot
δ in a lifelong process of coming to believe, my understanding of GOD will change. δ 433 words ➥ Monday, September 24, 2007 by: donnot
∞ as i grow in recovery, i begin to see that the only limits to … 392 words ➥ Wednesday, September 24, 2008 by: donnot
∝ the understanding of a HIGHER POWER that i had when i was new in recovery … 554 words ➥ Thursday, September 24, 2009 by: donnot
∞ a loving, caring Power that is greater than myself ∞ 448 words ➥ Friday, September 24, 2010 by: donnot
⇑ i am beginning to see that the only limits to the love and grace of GOD ⇑ 535 words ➥ Saturday, September 24, 2011 by: donnot
~ the POWER that fuels my recovery has a limitless capacity for : 600 words ➥ Monday, September 24, 2012 by: donnot
≅ i DO NOT have to be religious to accept the idea of a HIGHER POWER.  ≅ 434 words ➥ Tuesday, September 24, 2013 by: donnot
≈ growing a concept of **GOD** ≈ 386 words ➥ Wednesday, September 24, 2014 by: donnot
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☰ the POWER ☷ 702 words ➥ Sunday, September 24, 2017 by: donnot
☸ open my mind ☯ 472 words ➥ Monday, September 24, 2018 by: donnot
☰ coming to believe ☷ 489 words ➥ Tuesday, September 24, 2019 by: donnot
🏯 bigger than 🏰 427 words ➥ Thursday, September 24, 2020 by: donnot
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🤷 suggested 🤦 576 words ➥ Saturday, September 24, 2022 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 1

3) Great, it passes on (in constant flow). Passing on, it becomes
remote. Having become remote, it returns. Therefore the Tao is great;
Heaven is great; Earth is great; and the (sage) king is also great.
In the universe there are four that are great, and the (sage) king
is one of them.