When I was refusing help, I felt worse about myself. Now I believe I just wasn't given the gift of sight yet. I sing the song Amazing Grace almost every day to my children, and remember what it was like when I was blind... and how grateful I am for my gift of sobriety... that "now I see".
1. A man walks into AA recovery at the age of 67 and stays sober for 8 years, makes amends to the family he has hurt and dies at the age of 75. The timeline is not so important as the culmination of the life of one human being in peace. Sorrow for the families and members of AA but joy for the fellowship as a whole and for God to receive a worthy servant.
2. A man walks into AA after multiple relapses and despite our best efforts to help him, he squanders every opportunity until he loses grace. He remains incapacitated with minimal movement. Inebriation is only part of the problem, we have the mind of an alcoholic, which is damaged very badly and sometimes cannot distinguish true from false. Therefore our only hope is a heavenly intervention, through recovered alcoholics by God Himself. I pray that those that hear the message of recovery in the 12 steps will change.
3. Today I am also joyous because two individuals paid heed to that call 11 years ago, and decided to serve rather than be served.
This is what my day is like today. I celebrate two, 11 year anniversaries of AA members and I attend one funeral of an AA member. I would also like to visit my friend who is a quadraplegic after an accident and who refuse to listen to our way of life.
Question to the newcomer is what are you going to do with the choices presented to you? We have no jurisdiction in that area. We can only suggest our design for living, which works for us.
