A Member of Alcoholics Anonymous Shares

HI all!  I am Kelly, and I am an alcoholic.  I just got back from a much-needed vacation.  My husband and I both have not really had one since . well, ever!  "Work, work, work.  Go, go, go," was our mode of operation.  It was interesting how we had to work at relaxing.  But we got the hang of it pretty fast.  Now, to stay in that mode by remembering how we did it.  If I stay in this day today, I will have plenty to do.  I will have, by the grace of God, all I need and I will have rest.  If I do what I used to do before I got sober and found AA, that rest will go down the drain and it will be because of my choices today. 

 

My husband and I are both recovering alcoholics, and we are learning together and separately how to live one day at a time.  We don't have this down perfectly, but we are sure aware of the difference . how we have been in the last almost two years, and what we were like before.  Georgia is on fire about 80 miles north of here and we can see and smell the smoke, the Virginia Tech tragedy, and all my email being hijacked, kind of stressed me, ya know?  But what can I do about any of this?  What good am I if I start letting circumstances dictate my day and my usefulness?  Somehow, the Serenity Prayer is going to become a living prayer today, yesterday, and tomorrow.  But especially today.  Otherwise I will, and can easily, get tripped out . resulting in being blinded to what's really pressing right now.  Like someone needing and wanting help.  There is a difference between needing it and wanting it.  I need wisdom to know the difference. 

 

And what can I offer?  For me, it's God's will for my life today.  I am not a firefighter.  I am not the president.  I am not God, and I don't have a crystal ball, either.  Humbling huh?   I love it.  I learn through a lot of pain and wasted energy what I can and what I cannot do every day, as I learn more about who I am and where I am going.  There is always hope if I take hold of it today.  So this "Just for Today" thing I speak of takes some practice I guess for the rest of my life.  This will be challenged in many ways, and the bigger the challenge, the more opportunities to grow.

Alcoholics Anonymous Serenity Prayer - A Prayer for All Seasons

"The power of the Serenity Prayer is
overwhelming in that its simple beauty parallels
the A.A. Fellowship.  There are times when I
get stuck while reciting it, but if I examine
the section which is troubling me, I find the
answer to my problem....By accepting life as
it is, I gain serenity.  By taking action, I
gain courage and I thank God for the ability
to distinguish between those situations I can
work on, and those I must turn over.  All that
I have now is a gift from God: my life, my
usefulness, my contentment, and this program. 

     

"Alcoholics Anonymous IS the easier,
softer way."

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