Wisdom For Today - July

[bluidkiti]

July 16

Wisdom for Today
The rewards of the program are great. Each person I talk with in the program that works the steps has described to me in his own words how the program has changed his life for the better. As I have listened to them talk, they describe how the promises of the program have come true in their lives. My life certainly has been changed and continues to change with the recovery process. My relationship with my family has been impacted, and the reward of my relationship with my children is great. The closeness I have been able to develop with those that really matter most to me cannot be described in any other word but awesome. The changes that I have experienced in how I view myself are truly staggering. I can look at myself through eyes of forgiveness, and I can see someone that I really like.
Most of the blocks that I had in my relationship with a Higher Power have vanished. None of my relationships with family, or friends or even God is perfect; but the progress that has been made in the recovery process could not have been predicted when I first started out. The warmth and love that I experience from others is also something that I can now return. The value that these relationships have for me cannot be counted. In truth, I do not fully understand how all this has happened; but I do know that none of it would be possible if I were not clean and sober. Perhaps what has been most astounding in all of this is to see how others have responded to me and how they value having a relationship with me. Do I feel that others value their relationship with me?
Meditations for the Heart
One piece of information that I was given by a wise man that has proven to be true is this - "God's way IS the easier, softer way." I struggled with this concept for a long, long time. I found that I was frequently frustrated by my efforts to follow His will. My will always kept coming back into the equation of life, and invariably I would mess things up. I did not see this as the easier, softer way. In fact, I found following His will extremely hard. But over time I had more and more days that I could look back on and say that for the most part I had followed His path for me that particular day. I began to understand what this wise man had told me. When I was not fighting with God and trying to run the world the way I wanted it run, my days indeed were easier. When I was not hardening my heart to His will, I found that my heart was softer. I began to see that as difficult as it seemed sometimes to follow the will of my Higher Power, this truly was the easier, softer way. Am I making progress with following my Higher Power's path for me?
Petitions to my Higher Power
God,
When I look into the eyes of others with whom I am close and see the warmth and love that is there for me, I am truly amazed. This program and Your grace are solely responsible for this wonderful reward. Keep me willing to follow Your path, and give me the wisdom I need for this day. Help me to return the warmth and love that I receive and to open new doors to new relationships with those people to whom You lead me.
Amen.

[bluidkiti]

July 17

Wisdom for Today
Since coming into the program, my whole concept of what friendship means has changed dramatically. I thought that I was surrounded by a large group of friends when I was drinking and using drugs, but nothing could be farther from the truth. Oh, I had plenty of acquaintances, but none were truly my friends. I had party pals, and I had bar buddies, but I did not understand the concept of friendship until I had people who accepted me for who I was. I did not understand friendship until I had people who were willing to sit with me through the long and painful nights of early recovery, simply to help me get through one more day.
No I didn't understand friendship until I had real friends who would be honest with me and tell me the truth about myself. I didn't understand real friendship until I understood that these individuals would stand by me, and I knew in my heart they could be trusted. In my active addiction I thought that friends were people that I could use to get what I wanted. Now friends are people I can help and who can help me in return. They have taught me everything they know about how to live a better life and to be a better person. I know that with my friends I do not need to hold back. I can simply turn to them and ask for help and know that it will be there. I also know that if they need help, I will be there for them. This is what the program has taught me. Do I now have true friends? Am I willing to be a friend in return?
Meditations for the Heart
Recovery trains us to develop virtues. Patience is but one of these. Patience is often a real struggle for many of us because we became so used to instant gratification in our addiction. One quick fix, and we had everything we wanted, or so we thought. But recovery teaches us patience. We learn that we must do the work if we are to accomplish the goal. Nothing worth having comes easy, and this is true with patience as well. We learn to put off our need for immediate satisfaction and superficial reward in order to gain the real value in recovery. Slowly and methodically we take each step and thoroughly work each requirement to find the value behind the work. We learn to live in God's time and not our own. We discover that as long as we are willing to be patient, God will supply the answers we seek in His time and when we need them. Just because we want something now does not mean that we are yet ready. God knows this and will give us His answers in His time. Am I discovering what it means to be patient?
Petitions to my Higher Power
God,
Life is filled with many twists and turns, but You have provided me with friends I can rely on to help me along the way. Give me the wisdom to give back this friendship to any who need it. Let me this day practice patience and move at Your pace. Let me not rush to accomplish anything without first talking with You, God.
Amen.

[bluidkiti]

July 18

Wisdom for Today
I can't really say that life has fallen into place, but I can say that all the pieces are fitting together. Just like the pieces of a jigsaw puzzle, one piece after another seems to fit back together again. It was more like I was a clay pot that had been dropped and shattered into a million pieces. One after another the pieces have been glued back together again. As time passed, the program has taught me how to live with inner peace. I am content with where I am in life. Even though I am far from putting all the pieces back together again, with the help of the program this once broken vessel is now useful again. I am not tossed around by events in my life like I used to be. In the past it seemed like I was just about able to fit another broken piece of my life back together again when something would happen, and I would drop the piece before it had been fit back into place.
The program has provided me with a place of rest. A quiet place for my heart and mind to concentrate on the best way to fit the broken pieces of my life back together again. One after another has successfully been fitted together again. It has been glued in place with the steps and faith in a Higher Power. What has been surprising is that my Higher Power has instructed me to put these broken pieces back together again in a way that I would not have expected. Slowly this new vessel has become a container for inner peace. Even in the midst of insanity going on all around me, I can still carry this inner peace. Do I carry peace inside of me in every situation?
Meditations for the Heart
In all of us there is an imprinting on our heart that tells us of God. It helps to explain God to us in a way that we can understand Him. This imprinting of our hearts also speaks to us in a still, small voice. When we are quiet and look within, we can access this voice and listen to the words of wisdom that it provides. We will hear reminders when they are needed. We will hear new ideas and new solutions to old problems if we listen. This small voice will talk with us and provide suggestions and course corrections when needed. This imprint also provides us with an inner light, so that we can explore those inner pits of darkness without fear. We are able to access this inner light to brighten our days. We are able to access this inner light to shine on the paths of others in our lives. Here is where inner peace resides. Each of us can access this inner place with only two words - "Dear God." Am I praying to God as I understand Him?
Petitions to my Higher Power
God,
I wake this morning to find the inner peace that You provide. Let me use the steps this day to continue to put the missing pieces in place. Guide me and direct me as I move through this day. Help me use this inner light and peace to shine brightly in this new day. Thank You for keeping me clean and sober.
Amen.

[bluidkiti]

July 19

Wisdom for Today
Hope reigns eternal for the alcoholic or addict in recovery. To move from a place of total and absolute hopelessness to a life filled with nothing but hope is a treasured gift of the program. I do not recall exactly when I crossed the line from absolute hopelessness to a life of hope, but I am glad this happened. Living in quiet desperation is the curse of addiction. It robs us of all hope. It robs us of our dreams. It robs us of our tomorrows. As I indicated before, the program is solely responsible for me receiving the gift of hope. Maybe it was the speaker at the first open meeting I attended. Maybe it was the look in the eyes of those I met after the meeting. Maybe it was the quiet prayer I said when I got home begging God for a way out of the insanity. Maybe hope happened later, I am not sure.
But hope indeed came into my life. I was able to stay clean and sober for one day and then another. The days added up, and I could begin to see that maybe, just maybe, I could remain clean and sober one day at a time. It was not always easy; but hope for a better life, a real life kept me hanging on. I began to gain hope for repair from the damage done in my addiction. I began to have hope that perhaps I was indeed salvageable. I began to live a new and different life. Gone was the preoccupation and fear. Despair vanished. Hope was reborn inside, and it grew. Hope is reborn each and every day in the program. Despite the problems of life, I have hope each new day. This is another gift of the program. Has hope become reborn in my life?
Meditations for the Heart
The Spirit is the messenger of the prayer we lift up to our Higher Power. This messenger takes our words and delivers them even when we do not know what to say. He hears the groans of our hearts and puts into words that which we do not know how to say. We do not need fear that we will not have the right words when we talk to God. Our words are presented for us in ways we cannot understand, but God understands. He knows our needs and promises to fulfill what our heart requires. His love is eternal, and He will hold us in the palm of His hand. The Spirit lifts our prayers like incense to God. He carries them and presents them to God. He carries God's answers back to us and leads us through our days. We do not always understand what these answers are, but we can be sure that God will provide. This faith is all we need have. Do I know that God will listen to the words of my heart?
Petitions to my Higher Power
God,
Each day I open my eyes to see new hope in my life. You provide for me what I need for each and every day. This hope wraps around me and comforts me in the hard or difficult times. It causes me to celebrate in the small gains I make along the way. It provides me with new perspective and brings me new life. Send Your Spirit into my heart that He may carry my words to You this day. Keep me always in the palm of Your hand.
Amen.

[bluidkiti]

July 20

Wisdom for Today
Jumping into recovery is like leaping into the great unknown for many of us. In fact, this is a good thing, because it is the essence of what faith is all about. For many of us it is the birth of faith; walking into a meeting for the first time is much like jumping into something we know nothing of. We hear people talk of things we have not heard of before. But in the middle of this confusion and nothingness, we sense there is something present which draws these people to return to meetings over and over again. We have no understanding what this presence is, but we find faith to hold onto what is said at the meeting. We hear the words spoken for the first time, "Keep coming back." We are somehow drawn to what is happening in this room, and for the first time for many of us we experiment with faith.
Often times we initially have faith in the faces we see and those that we meet in the program. But as we talk with them, we are told not to put our faith in them, but to place our hopes in the program and in a Higher Power. We risk everything by doing just this. Our whole way of living is to be changed. Our whole concept of faith will grow with these changes. We come to believe that there indeed is a presence in these rooms, a Divine Presence. We place our faith in that which we cannot see, but only sense. Over time we begin to see evidence that this faith is working for us in our lives. We place our faith in that which brings us new life. Do I risk faith in that which is a great unknown?
Meditations for the Heart
God rebuilds our lives in ways that we do not expect. He takes the broken pieces of our lives and makes us a useful vessel. We keep this vessel empty for God to fill, and He does just that. We continually empty this vessel by reaching out to help others; and in doing so, we find that God refills the vessel again and again. He fills us with His Spirit; and in doing so, we are given strength, courage and wisdom for our journey in recovery. We begin to understand that the more we give, the more we are filled. Some of us have tried to keep all that we have been given. In doing this, we find that we are cut off from the supply of goodness that God wishes to fill us with. Our selfishness dries up the content of the vessel, and we again feel empty inside. It is only when we become willing to share what we have been given that our supply of His love is poured out upon us. Am I emptying my vessel of knowledge, strength and courage into the lives of those that need it most in the program?
Petitions to my Higher Power
God,
I am filled with Your Spirit and desire to give away what I have been given. Show me when and how to do this. Lead me to those that need to hear my story, and grant me the courage to let go and share freely what I have been given. Increase my faith in all that I do this day. Let me go about the tasks that You want me to complete.
Amen.

[bluidkiti]

July 21

Wisdom for Today
Another gift from the program we receive is the ability to love. I am not talking of the selfish passion, which we had for our drugs and alcohol, rather an unselfish desire to be of help to others. I genuinely want to reach out to others and give them my best efforts. I want to do what is right for them. This ability to love others in an unselfish manner begins with an acceptance that I need to do what my Higher Power wants me to do. It comes by putting the other guy first and myself last. This is the exact opposite of how I would behave in my active addiction. When I was drinking and using drugs everything was about me. I attempted to control the world and those in it for my own selfish needs. Nothing came between me and my desire to get high or wasted. I came before everything else. I didn't care whom I hurt in the process.
In recovery I have learned that I do not need to behave in this way. When I put God first, I no longer need to worry about my own selfish needs. I know I will be taken care of through His love. I am free to care about and give to others. This includes those I meet in the program, as well as my family and other friends. I am no longer concerned with my agenda, for I am out to accomplish another agenda. In recovery I am given one opportunity after another truly to love others. In giving from my heart, my agenda is lost; and I serve God's agenda. Do I do this perfectly? By no means can any of us ever accomplish this in this lifetime! All I can hope for is progress. Am I making progress in loving others?
Meditations for the Heart
Man has often dreamed of an unlimited supply of power; but with all our resources available to us, they all have limits in some way. But for the addict and alcoholic, we find a source of unlimited power in the program. As we turn our lives over, we find "One who has all Power." That one is God. His power is ceaseless. To tap into this never-ending supply of power, all we need do is ask God for His help. His strength is immediately available to us. Too many of us are blocked off from this Power. We get in the way by refusing to surrender fully to His will. We are blocked by returning to an attitude of self-reliance. We get blocked by being prideful and not being willing to ask for help. Yet, in our foolishness, we discover that the Power we seek is always there for us. We may at times turn our back on God, but He never turns His back on us. Where am I today in my walk with my Higher Power?
Petitions to my Higher Power
God,
Today as always You give me Your love. Help me this day to give this kind of love back to others I meet in my day. Let me seek to do Your will as I walk though this day. Let me tap into Your never-ending supply of power. Open my heart to others as I walk this journey of recovery.
Amen.

[bluidkiti]

July 22

Wisdom for Today
One thing that addiction robbed me of was my ambition. I lost interest in life and had no initiative to accomplish any of the goals or dreams I once had. I lost any discipline I once had to stick with a task until I finished what I started. There was no fuel in my engine; and I sat on the side of the road waiting for life to bring good things to me, which never happened. Instead life just passed me by. All my wishing did nothing, and I couldn't seem to get going on anything except my next drink or high. I became this pathetic blob that never could initiate even the first step to get anything done.
In recovery I was able to regain this part of myself that had been lost. I again gained interest in life and wanted to accomplish something. I had ambition to accomplish new goals. Early on these goals were very simple. I simply wanted to get through the day clean and sober. I would get up in the morning and make my bed, clean myself up and make a beginning at getting through the day. Later my sponsor coached me though the Twelve Steps, and I wanted to do things like finish the repair work in my life. I became motivated spiritually to expand my conscience contact with a Higher Power. My dreams for life came back to life. Out of the ashes of addiction arose a fiery hope for a new a different agenda in life. Have I regained the discipline and energy I once lost?
Meditations for the Heart
Out of the desperate despair of addiction grew a new flower of happiness. This was not accomplished all at once, but step by step as I accomplished one task after another. I found a new joy. I discovered that real happiness does not come in a bottle or in some pill. No pile of white powder ever gave me a true sense of happiness, only a brief reprieve from the stark darkness of addiction. Real happiness and joy are not only possible in recovery, but they are the outcome of using the program and the steps one day at a time. As we walk this path called recovery, new seeds are sown. The flowers of joy and happiness do grow and blossom in our lives. We discover that it comes in the little things of life that happen each day in this journey. We learn to share this happiness and joy with other people in our lives. As our lives are rebuilt by and with a Power greater than ourselves, happiness and joy blossom fully in our lives. Do I see the seeds of happiness and joy blossoming in my life?
Petitions to my Higher Power
God,
Here is another new day that You have blessed me with, and in it I know You will grant me new energy and determination. Give me this day the discipline to finish the tasks set before me. Let me follow Your lead so that I might complete the next steps in my journey of recovery. I am grateful this day for the new happiness You have bought into my life.
Amen.

[bluidkiti]

July 23

Wisdom for Today
In previous days we have looked at some of the gains and rewards that come through the recovery process. Perhaps just as valuable as the gains we make are the things we lose through the process. Fear used to control much of my life and affected many of the decisions I would make in my addiction. I cannot say that all my fears are lost because of sobriety, but many of the unhealthy fears I had are now gone. I do not even know how or when I lost many of these fears, but I do remember waking up one morning and being grateful because there was nothing to fear as I walked into the day. When I was drinking and using, I found that I was always looking over my shoulder. I felt that the worse was about to happen.
This changed in recovery. I no longer had to worry about what I did or did not do the day before. I can't say whether fear lost its grip on me or if I lost my grip on fear. I just know it changed and then was gone. Today I look back at this and realize that but for the grace of God, I still would be walking in fear. This is not the case. But fear was not the only thing I lost in the recovery process; and in the coming days, I will describe other things that I lost simply by staying clean and sober and using the steps. Does fear still have a grip on my life? Do I still maintain a grip on fear?
Meditations for the Heart
In times past I let people use me, and I also used them in order to get wasted. This is the nature of addiction. We allow others to walk all over us as long as it does not interfere with our getting drunk or high. Often times I would use these events as another excuse to go off the deep end. I also have to be honest and say there were just as many times, if not more, that I was the one using others for my own self-gratification. I didn't care if I had to step on someone or use them to get what I wanted. Recovery has a way of getting in the way of these behaviors. In working the program, I have learned that I do not need to let others walk all over me. I have also learned that I can't just go around using others anymore. This thing called a conscience gets in the way. How has using others or allowing myself to be used changed in recovery?
Petitions to my Higher Power
God,
As I awaken this morning, my breathing is quiet, and my thoughts are at ease. Fear is no longer intrusive or controlling in my life. I have no explanation for this except for a belief that You have removed this thing called fear from me. Let me walk into this day confident that You are always near and that I have no reason to fear. Keep me on the path of working the steps and living the program.
Amen.

[bluidkiti]

July 24

Wisdom for Today
Anger and resentment have slipped away. Those things that used to drive me up a wall and leave me hot under the collar have been lost. The thought of seeking revenge or a way to get even have not been a part of my thinking in my recovery. This did not happen right away, but this poison is not something I wish to drink any longer. There was a time when all I did was plot and scheme on ways to act on my hidden anger and rage against the world, my friends and my family. Why did they have to judge me? Who gave them the right? How would I pay them back? These questions and others just like them tore my insides apart in the past, but they are needed no longer.
Hanging on to resentments only hurt me. I was never foolish enough to really act out my rage. Instead I turned this anger inward on my self. I found ways in recovery to let go and found that as I turned things over to God, I no longer needed to carry these burdens. Hate was not something I needed anymore; it only served to provide another excuse to drink or use. In its place I was able to look at my part in the problem. I could look at what I needed to change. In its place I discovered things like forgiveness, tolerance and understanding. As the rage departed and the resentments hushed, I found something called peace. Yes, losing the burden of anger and resentment has turned out to be a good thing. Do I continue to carry the burden of anger and resentment?
Meditations for the Heart
How I react to and treat others has changed dramatically over time. This was not so much up to me as it was up to His grace. Yes, I have done much of the footwork by working the steps, but the changes that occurred as a result of this really happened not because of what I had done, but because of my Higher Power's interventions. He has changed the way I think. He has changed the way I view life. He has changed the way I interact with others. I still am called to interact with others daily. I am still called to do the next right thing. I am still called to do His will. These choices I make, but as for the outcome of these choices, I leave that all up to God. He helps me to perceive the world in a new and different light. He helps me to think before I speak. He helps me to find new ways to solve old and difficult conflicts. His grace makes this happen in my life. Am I doing the footwork and leaving the outcome up to God?
Petitions to my Higher Power
God,
In Your wisdom You show me what is needed. When I need to look in the mirror, You provide me with someone who will reflect what they see back to me. When I need to see beyond my own thinking, You provide me with another opinion. When I need to look straight ahead, You give me a straight and narrow path. When I need to struggle with something, You provide me with a wide berth and allow me to look at things for as long as I need to. Continue this day to show me the way.
Amen.

[bluidkiti]

July 25

Wisdom for Today
Gone are the days when I beat myself up. Lost is the self-hatred. How does one go from self-loathing to actually loving self and others? When did this actually occur? Somewhere in the recovery process, I stopped doing all those things, which completely violated my values. I stopped doing that which my conscience knew was wrong. This is not to say that I still don’t make mistakes. I am human. But I no longer need to destroy my life and hurt others for my own selfish gain. I no longer need to get out a big stick and beat myself over the head. I no longer have to ask myself why I was so stupid. I no longer need to walk in absolute shame.
I cannot fully explain what it is like to lose this need to hate myself and actually care again. This is the miracle called recovery. You see, recovery is not just about simple abstinence. The program teaches me so much more. I have been able to sort through the piles of “yuk” in my life and find that which is truly important. I have learned to operate within my values. I have learned to admit the mistakes I make and work to change my behavior so as not to repeat destructive patterns. I have developed a sense of right and wrong and a desire to do the next right thing. I no longer need to put myself down and abuse myself. I have learned to accept my humanity. Have I lost my self-hatred?
Meditations for the Heart
Values and virtues are things we do not often speak of, but they are of utmost importance to the recovering addict and alcoholic. Values are the things we hold dear. They define what is important and where we invest our time and energy. If I value my recovery I will invest time and energy into it. The same is true with family, a spiritual life, work, self-care and our relationships with others. Virtues on the other hand determine how we go about living our lives. The program teaches us many virtues such as honesty, courage, wisdom and many others. We discover that we do not need to live in a manner of self-deceit, dishonesty, fear and stupidity. We find that we can develop healthy values and virtues. Recovery and the steps and traditions teach us how to live. Am I developing a healthy set of values and virtues?
Petitions to my Higher Power
God,
Once again this morning I can look in the mirror. There was a time that I could not do this. I avoided looking at myself because I did not want to see what was there. I am grateful for this ability to see myself and accept myself again. Thank You for this new vision not only of who I am, but also who I can become. Help me this day to use my values as a guide for living. Teach me to use the virtues of the program in my daily life.
Amen.

[bluidkiti]

July 26

Wisdom for Today
Something else that I have lost as a result of staying clean and sober is the inability to believe in myself. I had become convinced that I was just a loser. I knew that there was no way to trust myself or my ability to make good decisions. I had no self-confidence. There was ample proof that if given the opportunity, I would find a way to screw everything up. This did not change simply because I stopped drinking and using. However, the longer I stayed clean and sober and the more I used the tools of the program, the more I was able to begin to make rational healthy choices in my life.
At first my self-confidence remained very low, but the program gave me something else to rely on. I could rely on the people I saw at meetings. I could rely on a Higher Power. I could rely on the steps. Today I still rely heavily on each of these supports, but I also have developed a healthy ability to make good decisions again. I found out that I am not a loser; I simply behaved like one when I was drinking and using drugs. I have learned that I no longer need to self-destruct and screw up my life. I can believe in myself again, and I can trust my gut. I do not rely solely on myself as this would be foolish, but I can now make an informed decision on when to trust my gut and when I need to ask for help. Am I regaining self-confidence?
Meditations for the Heart
In my addiction my gut was constantly tossing and turning. My anxiety would increase when I knew that what I was doing was wrong, but I would not listen to my gut. Instead I would listen to my disease, which talked to me in ways that were impossible to resist. “Go ahead; no one will know,” it would say to me. “Just one more; it’s okay; you can handle it.” Addiction has many different voices and has a way of screaming louder so that I could hear no other voice. In recovery I have learned to listen to other voices - the voice of my sponsor, the voice of my Higher Power, the voice of the person sitting across from me at a meeting and the voice of my gut. When my gut begins to toss and turn now, I listen to what it has to say. It gives me the clues I need about what may be bothering me. Have I learned to listen to other voices in my recovery?
Petitions to my Higher Power
God,
Recovery has provided me with many blessings. I am truly grateful that my gut does not always toss and turn anymore. I am also grateful for the times it does, because I now know that I need to listen to what my gut is telling me. I also know that when I can’t really understand what is being communicated to me, I simply need to ask for help and talk things through. Thank You for this blessing.
Amen

[bluidkiti]

July 27

Wisdom for Today
One thing I am very grateful to have lost in my recovery is the profound sense of inferiority I carried inside. I constantly walked around feeling like I was a loser and gave myself all kinds of self-talk messages to confirm this false belief. Day after day I would convince myself I was not good enough or talented enough. I would repeatedly tell myself not to even try something or attempt to better myself because I knew deep inside I was less than other people and didn't deserve to have a better life. My addiction seemed constantly to reinforce my own self-perception. In this state of mind it is easy to understand why it was so easy to slide into a pit of despair. I would spend days languishing in self-pity. I would avoid all responsibility and looked to blame others, including God, for my lowly status.
Recovery, being the wise teacher that it is, has changed this. I have found that I gain nothing from self-pity. I have learned to take responsibility for my own life and to be selfish with my recovery. I learned that I could quit running from life and could begin to embrace it. The program taught me about equality, and it taught me to be the best that I can be in my life. No longer do I feel like I am trapped in the prison that inferiority creates. Now I can feel positively about myself and about how I behave in my life. I am free to explore the very depths of who I am. This is the gift of the steps - to know one’s self and approve of one’s self. Do I know myself and like what I see?
Meditations for the Heart
Living in today is but a part of what I have learned in the program. I have also learned that it is just as important constantly to be reaching forward. I am forever reaching ahead and setting new goals for myself. Just as we move from one step to the next, we then learn that we are to practice what we have learned in all that we do. We reach out, we plan and we work toward new goals. We entrust the outcome of our efforts to our Higher Power. We develop faith that as we walk forward and reach out that God will lead us on the path to a stronger and better sobriety. We walk the walk, and He leads us on the path to a brighter tomorrow. Yes! There are struggles along the way, and there are pitfalls, but we hold onto the principles and our faith, and we find that progress occurs. Am I still reaching out while living in today?
Petitions to my Higher Power
God,
You brighten my day, and You also challenge me to keep growing. You have provided me with a unique set of tools and friends to teach me how to use them. Let me reach forward in my recovery and accept the challenges as they come. Strengthen my faith in Your presence in my life.
Amen.

[bluidkiti]

July 28

Wisdom for Today
I used to walk through life filled with one enormous negative attitude, but recovery has changed all that. No longer is there a big chip on my shoulder. No longer do I seek out what is negative about every situation I face. I didn't trust anyone. I thought that they all were liars and certainly were bad. I was projecting my own thoughts and feelings on to everyone I met. I looked for the ways people were two-faced and how they hid the truth about themselves, but it was really I who was hiding. Even when I went to church, I could see the hypocrisy of what people were doing, but I was the real hypocrite. This was my attitude toward life. Everything was negative; everything was bad; everything was wrong.
But I have developed a much more positive outlook in recovery. I no longer seek to be the judge and jury for the world. I don't even need to play judge with myself anymore. I am much more accepting of people and do not focus on their fallibility. I know we are all human, and we all make mistakes. I am much more forgiving than I ever was in my addiction. I try to walk into each day with a positive attitude. I seek out the good in others and in myself. I no longer perceive the world as a bad place. I see the good in the world and in God's plan for me in the world. I don't focus on what is wrong with the world, but look for the good in the world. Do I have a positive outlook now?
Meditations for the Heart
My Higher Power is my best companion. He walks with me every step I take. He is there to talk with on this journey called recovery. I know that I am working in concert with Him when I walk the path He lays before me. He does many things for me, and I do things for Him. When I reach out to others in need and offer my support or a helping hand, I work with and for my Higher Power. When I seek His guidance, strength or peace, He is right by my side and provides for my needs. What better friend could I have than this? When this relationship becomes real and close, my prayers find more and deeper meaning. I have clearer vision and can see how my prayers are indeed answered. Do I have a friend in my Higher Power?
Petitions to my Higher Power
God,
You seek me out and walk with me as I follow this path. Give me a brighter vision so that I may focus on all that is right in the world. Help me to keep a positive outlook as I walk through my days. Help me to give freely what has been given to me. Let me walk through this day knowing that You are my friend.
Amen

[bluidkiti]

July 29

Wisdom for Today
I used to be so full of myself. Self-centeredness was a way of life. Today recovery has shown me how to be less self-centered. The world does not have to revolve around my desires and me. In the past all I cared about was myself and getting drunk or high. I didn't care about who I stepped on or hurt in the process. It was all about pleasure and feeding my desires. I cared more about my desires than I did anything else in my life. My family was not first. My job was not first. A relationship with God was not even in the picture. It was all about my way and control. Feeding my addiction was my priority.
Recovery has shown me a different way. It is no longer about me. Now I choose to live life the way my Higher Power wants me to lead my life. He helps me make better decisions and to value the things that are truly important. I have learned to care about others and consider their feelings. I have learned to seek out help from others, rather than rely solely on myself. Letting go of my self-centeredness has led me to a place of happiness. It has freed me from the bondage of desire. It has allowed me to walk away from isolation and into relationships with those I care about and love. The program has taught me to care less about my self-centered desires and more about others. Have I found a way to let go of my selfish, self-centered desires?
Meditations for the Heart
Life's problems happen all the time. There is little we can do to stop this fact. Yes, we can prevent some problems from occurring, and we can even minimize the severity of other ones, but the real challenge for the alcoholic or addict is how we view our problems. We can see the difficulties in life as a roadblock or deterrent to progress, or we can see these difficulties as a test of our spiritual strength and a chance to keep growing. No matter what the difficulty or setback, we can choose to see it as an opportunity to overcome adversity and a chance to meet the struggle head on. We can know in our heart that our Higher Power is beside us, encouraging us and leading us through these troubles. Most of my growth in recovery has come during these difficult times and challenges. Here is where my spirit is strengthened, and I am nourished with a greater appreciation of just how well the program can and does work. Do I see problems as opportunities?
Petitions to my Higher Power
God,
You have freed me from the bondage of self-centeredness and shown me a new path. Let me walk forward and be willing to face any challenge or problem that arises knowing that You are with me in all that I face. Teach me to use these difficult times as an opportunity to grow more deeply in my spiritual life. Give me courage for this day.
Amen.

[bluidkiti]

July 30

Wisdom for Today
I am not the big story of the program. When I stop and consider all the people who walked this path before me, I realize that the real story is the program itself. Truly wonderful things have happened for me in recovery, but none of this would have been possible had it not been for all those who preceded me on this path. The founders of the program discovered what worked. They borrowed from sources such as medicine, religion and psychiatry. The founders began to share what worked for them with others and found even more help for themselves. Over the years different members have added more tools such as many of the sayings and slogans we hear at meetings.
All who have been successful will tell you that they found a spiritual base essential for the process to work. Each of us in recovery find that a relationship with a Power Greater than our self is needed to establish and maintain recovery. No, I am not the big story; it is the program. This same program has restored my self-respect. It has provided me with friends. It has given me a roadmap to follow. It has instructed me in ways I cannot fully describe here. I, like the founders, have discovered the value of helping others. All of this and more tell me that I am not that important. I am but one among many. Do I understand that it is the program and not myself that is most important?
Meditations for the Heart
As I look back over my life it is abundantly clear that everything, both good and bad, has happened for a reason. These reasons are not always immediately clear, but over time things begin to make sense. There has been a purpose for the tragedies as well as the victories. There has been a reason for the people I have met along the way. Most of all, it is clear that God has had a plan for my usefulness in the world. Life for me is like one large tapestry, and I am but one thread in this magnificent work. It is not until I gained some distance from the tapestry that I began to see the importance of each individual thread. I am a part of this magnificent whole. I know that God continues to weave me into this tapestry. Each and every event in my life is but a small part of the thread that is my life. Do I have the vision to see the great tapestry that God weaves?
Petitions to my Higher Power
God,
You are the great weaver of my life. You show me where the tread of my life fits into this tapestry. Today let me open my life to Your hands and follow where I am led. Let me acknowledge the work that has already been accomplished by You in the lives of so many others in this program. For Your skillful hands I am grateful.
Amen.