One Thing To Never Forget

[honeydumplin]

God in His wisdom selected this group of men and women to be purveyors of
His goodness. In selecting them through whom to bring about this
phenomenon, He went not to the proud, the mighty, the famous or the
brilliant. He went instead to the humble, to the sick, to the unfortunate.
He went right to the drunkard, the so-called weakling of the world. Well
might He have said to us:

Unto your weak and feeble hands I have entrusted a power beyond estimate.
To you has been given that which has been denied the most learned of your
fellows. Not to scientists or statesmen, not to wives or mothers, not even
to my priests or ministers have I given this gift of healing other
alcoholics which I entrust to you.

It must be used unselfishly; it carries with it grave responsibility. No
day can be too long; no demands upon your time can be too urgent; no case be
too pitiful; no task too hard; no effort too great. It must be used with
tolerance for I have restricted its application to no race, no creed, and no
denomination. Personal criticism you must expect; lack of appreciation will
be common; ridicule will be your lot; your motives will be misjudged. You
must be prepared for adversity, for what men call adversity is the ladder
you must use to ascend the rungs toward spiritual perfection, and remember,
in the exercise of this power I shall not exact from you beyond your
capabilities.

You are not selected because of exceptional talents, and be careful always,
if success attends your efforts not to ascribe to personal superiority that
to which you can lay claim only by virtue of my gift. If I had wanted
learned men to accomplish this mission, the power would have been entrusted
to the physician and scientist. If I had wanted eloquent men, there would
have been many anxious for the assignment, for talk is the easiest used of
all talents with which I have endowed mankind. If I had wanted scholarly
men, the world is filled with better-qualified men than you who would be
available. You were selected because you have been the outcasts of the
world and your long experience as drunkards has made or should make you
humbly alert to the cries of distress that come from the lonely hearts of
alcoholics everywhere.

Keep ever in mind the admission you made on the day of your profession in
AA- namely that you are powerless and that it was only with your willingness
to turn your life and will unto my keeping that relief came to you.