The Promises, that are read in many A.A. Meetings can be found on page 83-84, of the Big Book, Alcoholics Anonymous.
THE A.A. PROMISES
If we are painstaking about this phase of our development, we will be amazed before we are half way through. We are going to know a new freedom and a new happiness. We will not regret the past nor wish to shut the door on it. We will comprehend the word serenity and we will know peace. No matter how far down the scale we have gone, we will see how our experience can benefit others. That feeling of uselessness and self pity will disappear. We will lose interest in selfish things and gain interest in our fellows. Self-seeking will slip away. Our whole attitude and outlook upon life will change. Fear of people and of economic insecurity will leave us. We will intuitively know how to handle situations which used to baffle us. We will suddenly realize that God is doing for us what we could not do for ourselves.
Are these extravagant promises? We think not. They are being fulfilled among us sometimes quickly, sometimes slowly. They will always materialize if we work for them.
-- Edited by jj on Sunday 13th of November 2011 05:36:39 PM
"If we are painstaking about this phase of our development" .
This means that the promises are not automatic. They do not happen by simply attending AA meetings and they do not happen from simply reading the AA Big Book. They only happen only as the result of painstakingly working step #9 after having worked steps 1 through 8.
If anyone has not received these promises, they may want to carefully examine where they are in the steps.
"If we are painstaking about this phase of our development" .
This means that the promises are not automatic. They do not happen by simply attending AA meetings and they do not happen from simply reading the AA Big Book. They only happen only as the result of painstakingly working step #9 after having worked steps 1 through 8.
If anyone has not received these promises, they may want to carefully examine where they are in the steps.
It's a relatively recent thing to read the promises and sometimes it seems it's the WIFM of AA- what's in it for me. Many don't seem to realise a powerful lot of work has been done before the promises come to pass. But come to pass they will, through the steps, and the promises will be understood in hindsight as is so much of this wonderful programme. Take the steps and the rewards and understanding will follow. It was this way for me.
Thanks for your thoughtful post Shiela.
God bless,
MikeH.
-- Edited by Larry_H on Sunday 13th of November 2011 11:28:39 PM
A recovering fellow friend of my on the island once told me that the promises use to sound so extravagant to him when he listened to and read them that he use to answer, "you bet your ass they are!!" and he became more convinced of how blessed he was from his HP and the program of AA.
I agreed with him during that discussion. ((((hugs))))
