3 - Made a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of God as we understood him.
Scary for most of us, huh? The pivotal step on this gangplank to the HMS Happy, Joyous and Free is to do a "trust-fall" with God and most of us had experienced that when we fall backwards and expect someone to catch us...the floor hurts.
So the Daily reflections for Mar 26 got me to thinkin'.
When our creator turned us hairless monkeys loose with 6 lbs of brains and thumbs he had a choice. Do I make them obedient...or give them free will? He/She/It chose free will. She chose to turn her will over to us...and wait.
We alkies...what did WE do with it? A fair job of pissing our lives away until now, as many of us stand at the turning point.
So God, I return to you my FreeWill, that you may do with me as you require.
No longer driven by drunken thought and deed, but sober thought and deed, I feel that mt Will is now Free to do not only what It wants of me, but my Will is a lot less likely to do something well and truly stupid now that I've asked God to give me an allowance of it instead of the whole darned trust-fund.
I think of free will like swimming, and rather then stop swimming I prefer to think of it as swimming with the current rather then against it. Going with God's will rather then trying to "run the show" which never works out very well for me.
So what's God's "will" for me?
He/it/the thing/God wants us to be happy, joyous and free.
Praying ONLY of knowledge of his will for us and the Power to carry that out.
This thought brings us to Step Ten, which suggests we continue to take personal inventory and continue to set right any new mistakes as we go along. We vigorously commenced this way of living as we cleaned up the past. We have entered the world of the Spirit. Our next function is to grow in understanding and effectiveness. This is not an overnight matter. It should continue for our lifetime. Continue to watch for selfishness, dishonesty, resentment, and fear. When these crop up, we ask God at once to remove them. We discuss them with someone immediately and make amends quickly if we have harmed anyone. Then we resolutely turn our thoughts to someone we can help. Love and tolerance of others is our code.
Every day is a day when we must carry the vision of God's will into all of our activities. "How can I best serve Thee, Thy will (not mine) be done." These are thoughts which must go with us constantly. We can exercise our will power along this line all we wish. It is the proper use of the will.
Occasionally however I get an Old Testament God who seems to delight in "smiting" me for my insolence, I'm no real big on that guy and will happily trade him for the "Lilies of the field" guy if anyone has a spare one of those lying around.
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Build a man a fire and he will be warm for a night, light a man on fire and he will be warm for the rest of his life
Aloha AM..."...as we understand Him." That is a present and ongoing work for me. As long as I get to be present when the fellowship manifest it's recovery to me and in me I get a clearer and stronger ever widening understanding of my HP. The 3rd step has become a continuous growth step for which I constantly experience enlightenment and anticipation.
For me,everymorning as my eyes open,I give glory to my God,ask for forgiveness for my defects,shortcomings and fallen nature and also to be able to forgive myself and others,meditate on 3rd and 11th step for a moment and then I get up out of bed....and now its "life on lifes terms but directed(when Im not taking it back)by my ultimate sponsor!!Before I sleep for the night I try and look back over the day and see how well I paid attention...obviously more attentive some days then others!!!
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Selfishness-self-centeredness! That, we think, is the root of our troubles.
