12 Steps of Sponsorship
Freedom lies just beyond the archway, of which the Cornerstone, (our belief in an all powerful and loving Creator) is the number one element. Without this Cornerstone, without this belief, and our surrender to it, and dependence in it, will will surely fail, and die spiritually. No life, run on self will, can hardly be a success. There’s only two doors to pass through; 1) self-dependency: a life run on self will. or, God-Dependency: a life run on God dependency.
Some say that there are NO MUSTS in AA… actually, if you are working the Program outlined within the AA Text Book; there are 96 Musts. I heard someone say at a meeting that they were falling short on working the “Spiritual Aspect” of the program. It was quickly pointed out to them that there is NO SPIRITUAL ASPECT of this program - and that this IS a Spiritual Program of Recovery. The entire Program is Spiritual in Nature. There is no “Aspect” to it. (aspect means portion, perspective, section) We must do this work or we will die, of course , unless, you are NOT an alcoholic of the hopeless variety.
In turning my will and my life over to the care of God (as I understood Him) isn’t always an easy thing to do. I keep taking back control - or did I never fully give it up to begin with?
The key is that I have to stop what it is I’m thinking of, engulfed in, and consumed by in order to begin to see, not to see, but to begin to see, then there is much work to be done to continue to see, and more to continue to see more.
If discussion strays from the step being studied, the chairperson will remind you of the purpose of this meeting. It is not the group’s intention to be intimidating or insulting to anyone. We only know that if you are talking about the problem, you cannot possibly be talking about the solution. We reserve the right of the chairperson to limit discussion to he step being studied tonight.
Good evening, everybody, this is the usual ________ night’s meeting of the _______ Men’s (and Women’s) Big Book Step Study Group and we will open the meeting in the usual manner with a moment of silence to do with as you wish.
As a bonified alcoholic, I know first hand that my ego is cunning, baffling and powerful. It doesn’t want to die and will do anything to stay alive and kicking. It manipulates me through my mind and drags me down by suplanting delussional thoughts into my head about anything good that is in my life. And if I do catch on to its game, it changes its mask so I only think its gone, as it resumes it assalt from an alternate angle.
Although we like to think that the people in our lives are well-adjusted, happy, healthy minded individuals, we sometimes realize that it just isn’t so. Personally, I’ve had moments where I’ll be skipping through my day, happy as can be, thinking life is grand and BAM, I’ll be blindsided by someone who manages to knock the happy wind out of my sails. Sometimes it is easy to write it off and other times, not so much.
Someone to have considered themselves done with the work, simply still doesn’t get it. The old solution for us was to drink, the new solution is to not. The old solution for us was to be selfish, the new solution is to be selfless. The old solution for us was to be self-centered, the new solution for us is to be God-Centered. The old solution for us was to be delusional, the new solution for us is to turn our thinking and our will over to the care and understabnding of God and to remain open to His will for us.