Daily Reprieve - November

[bluidkiti]

November 1

REAL COURAGE

"The Lord is a shelter for the oppressed, a refuge in times of trouble." Psalm 9:9-10

"All men of faith have courage. They trust their God." Alcoholics Anonymous, page 68

For what it's worth: Alcohol created many troubles for me with its illusion of courage, especially since I had rejected a relationship with God. Years of agonizing despair were necessary to drive me to seek help by attending an Alcoholics Anonymous meeting. Thank God for the agony, otherwise I would have died a lonely, miserable alcoholic, self-condemned to the eternal fires of hell. Instead, the people and the Steps of Alcoholics Anonymous taught me to trust my Lord. Trusting God gives me real courage in comfortable and troubled times.

God bless you.
Joe W.

[bluidkiti]

November 2

WEALTHY WITH LOVE

"No matter what I say, what I believe, and what I do, I'm bankrupt without love." 1 Corinthians 13:3 (The Message)

"For the first time, he lived in conscious companionship with his Creator." Alcoholics Anonymous, page 56

For what it's worth: I was nothing without love, and the fear of being unlovable and unable to love nurtured my alcoholism for many desperate years. To a large degree this was valid as long as I drank. Once I stopped drinking in Alcoholics Anonymous, however, this fear continued to nag at me until I came to believe that a power greater than myself could make me lovable and capable of loving. This growth grew as I lived the Twelve Steps. I started to love myself as did the people in Alcoholics Anonymous. Even more importantly, they led me to believe in a loving God. As I stay sober and live the principles of Alcoholics Anonymous one day at a time, I become wealthy with the ability to love and be loved. Trusting that I am loved by my Heavenly Father and seeking a "conscious companionship" with Him is a priceless treasure I would have denied myself had I continued drinking.

God bless you,
Joe W.

[bluidkiti]

November 3

START FRESH

"Clean the slate, God, so we can start the day fresh! Keep me from stupid sins, from thinking I can take over your work." Psalm 19:13 (The Message)

"Some of us have tried to hold on to our old ideas and the result was nil until we let go absolutely." Alcoholics Anonymous, page 58

For what it's worth: For years alcohol gave me the false courage to believe I was in charge. Down deep inside, however, I knew I was incapable. Both were stupid, old ideas I had to let go. But how? I received the answer in Alcoholics Anonymous: with God's help, don't drink, go to meetings, and live the Twelve Steps to the best of my ability one day at a time. First, I had to surrender, "let go absolutely". This became possible only after I had suffered long enough from trying to control myself and others. Even today, I am not cured. I continue to struggle with this. This is why I like the idea of cleaning the slate and starting the day fresh. When I ask, I am grateful my Heavenly Father is always so willing to help.

God bless you,
Joe W.

[bluidkiti]

November 4

TENACIOUS SHAME

"Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth." 2 Timothy 2:16

"...Almost every alcoholic has been marked by escapades, funny, humiliating, shameful or tragic." Alcoholics Anonymous, page 123

For what it's worth: My alcoholism was marked mostly by escapades that were shameful and tragic, and the sorrow and shame follow me long into sobriety in Alcoholics Anonymous. Even sober, I was afraid God would not approve of me, so I have begged Him to teach me to trust His love. Years of sober experiences have been necessary for me to learn. Still, shame was so ingrained in my being I have to work hard each day to present myself to God unashamed about my past, accepting of the present, and hopeful about the future.

God bless you.
Joe W.

[bluidkiti]

November 5

FINDING GOD'S WAY

"Every part of Scripture is God-breathed and useful one way or
another—showing us truth, exposing our rebellion, correcting our
mistakes, training us to live God's way." 2 Timothy 3:16 (The Message)

"Every day is a day when we must carry the vision of God's will into all of our activities." Alcoholics Anonymous, page 85

For what it's worth: Alcohol and Scripture did not fit together. Nor was I a bit interested in God's will, only my will to drink. This attitude combined with alcohol forced me to the gates of hell, and the despair and soul-torture there drove me to seek relief in Alcoholics Anonymous. However, the members and the Twelve Steps spoke powerfully of my need to know and practice God's will to avoid entering the gates of hell. I had to have God's support to do this, and, eventually, He introduced me to the book, Alcoholics Anonymous. (I had thrown away the first three given to me because of all the "God stuff".) After years of reading this book, I came to realize the Bible and the book, Alcoholics Anonymous are closely related, so I use both daily for training to live my day God's way.

God bless you.
Joe W.

[bluidkiti]

November 6

KEEP TRYING

"Praise be to God, who has not rejected my prayer or withheld his love from me!" Psalm 66:20

"We shouldn't be shy on this matter of prayer." Alcoholics Anonymous, page 85

For what it's worth: Even during my 10 years in the seminary, studying to be a Franciscan priest, prayer was superficial. As my alcoholism progressed, I stopped praying all together. I do not remember asking, but, for some reason, when alcohol dragged me close to everlasting torment, God reached down to save me. He delivered me to Alcoholics Anonymous. At first, I would not pray when others did. However, the longer I was away from that last drink, the more I felt the need for prayer. With sobriety and the Twelve Steps, my prayer life improved, but is still weak. I tend to run through prayers, placing other things as more important. I am deeply grateful for my Heavenly Father's loving patience. Often, I have to practice Steps Six and Seven and talk to Him about this defect. He always welcomes me and whispers to me to keep trying.

God bless you.
Joe W.

[bluidkiti]

November 7

NOT WORTH THE RISK

"Godly sadness causes us to turn away from our sins and be saved." 2 Corinthians 7:10 (New International Reader's Version)

"We will not regret the past nor wish to shut the door on it." Alcoholics Anonymous, page 83

For what it's worth: Much of my past is painful because of character defects running wild under the influence of alcohol. Thanks to the grace of God, my past is not who I am now, but it is what drove me to recovery. Sobriety and the spiritual therapy of Alcoholics Anonymous have quieted the shame, but sorrow remains. If I could travel back through time and correct all of my mistakes, would I do so? Where would be my motivation for sobriety and change? Would my relationship with my Heavenly Father be lost? It is not worth the risk.

God bless you.
Joe W.

[bluidkiti]

November 8

LET IT GROW

"Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy.

For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. So let it grow..." James 1:2-4 (NLT)

"This is the great news this book carries to those who suffer from alcoholism." Alcoholics Anonymous, page 17

For what it's worth: Alcoholism certainly made me and others in my life suffer, and sobriety in Alcoholics Anonymous did not guarantee immunity from agony. Actually, pain has been a great motivator for me. I have difficulty accepting it when I am hurting, but I will grow spiritually as a result. Such has been my experience ever since I put my life in God's hands. Every instance of turmoil has benefited me, especially preparing me to be God's instrument understanding others.

God bless you.
Joe W.

[bluidkiti]

November 9

CALLED UP FROM HELL

“…He was overwhelmed by a conviction of the Presence of God.” Alcoholics Anonymous, page 56

"I have not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance." Luke 5:32

For what it’s worth: Alcoholism left not even one ounce of gratitude in me. I resented anyone thankful for anything. When I first heard Alcoholics Anonymous people say they were grateful alcoholics, I thought they were phony or crazy. And I said so. That did not stop them. They went right on telling me how thankful they were, and, as I sobered up, I started to believe them. Actually, I was beginning to feel it myself. Gradually my heart filled with gratitude, and I understood. Who wouldn’t be grateful for being called up from hell to their Heavenly Father’s arms?

God bless you.
Joe W.

[bluidkiti]

November 10

RELAPSE - PREMEDITATED MURDER

"...Honesty cannot enter. Truth is nowhere to be found." Isaiah 59:14-15

"He can only be defeated by an attitude of intolerance or belligerent denial." Alcoholics Anonymous, Appendix II, "Spiritual Experience"

For what it's worth: Surely, truth was "nowhere to be found" during the insidious denial stage of my alcoholism. Like most alcoholics, I would have died in denial, but God was merciful, bringing me to the truth in Alcoholics Anonymous. Despite years of acceptance, sobriety, and treatment of my disease, "an attitude of intolerance or belligerent denial" will destroy my spiritual condition and contrive a relapse - a deadly reality. Just the thought of relapse is frightening. I will rapidly drift away from God. All honesty will be lost. My soul will empty and rot. The only promise will be rapidly progressive deterioration. I will be guilty of premeditated murder, planning and constructing a relapse long before the lethal act. The victim will be me, killed on the installment plan, one drink at a time.

God bless you.
Joe W.

[Magie]

From one who is struggling with deadly relapse, I am compelled to thank you for this powerful reading,, A lifeline from the jaws of despair ..
Thank you!!

[bluidkiti]

November 11

HE ALWAYS PROVIDES

"Your attitude must be like my own, for I, the Messiah, did not come to be served, but to serve and to give my life." Matthew 20:28 (LB)

"Our real purpose is to fit ourselves to be of maximum service to God and the people about us." Alcoholics Anonymous, page 77

For what it's worth: As an active alcoholic my primary purpose was to drink. I cared nothing about service to God or His people. Of course, to survive alcoholism I had to change my purpose and my attitude. With sober time and the grace of God, Alcoholics Anonymous did both. Today, I ask God's help to do His will and to demonstrate a caring attitude toward all His children (including me) that He places in my life this day, especially suffering alcoholics. When I keep my self-centered will out of his way, He always provides, not for my glory, but His.

God bless you.
Joe W.

[bluidkiti]

November 12

HIS AMAZING LOVE

"Cultivate your own relationship with God, but don't impose it on others." Romans 14:22 (The Message)

"We made a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of God as we understood Him." Alcoholics Anonymous, page 59

For what it's worth: I wanted no relationship with God while I was drinking, and I believed the feeling was mutual. I blamed Him for my misery. Sober in Alcoholics Anonymous I learned I needed a conscious contact with God. This frightened me because I had cursed God and hurt many of his children. But, if I were to survive the hell of alcoholism and eternal misery, I had to try, so I made my Third Step decision. God welcomed me with open arms, and together we started on a spiritual journey, daily bringing me closer to Him and allowing me to learn to trust His love. I share my experiences and my understanding of God's deep and unconditional love, but He does not want me to "impose it on others". As with me, when they knock, He will open the door for them and introduce them to His amazing love.

God bless you.
Joe W.

[bluidkiti]

November 13

THE KINGS OF GIVING

“Give, and [gifts] will be given to you; good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over, will they pour into the bosom. For, with the measure you deal out, it will be measured back to you." Luke 6:38

“Giving, rather than getting, will become the guiding principle.” Alcoholics Anonymous, page 128

For what it’s worth: The hard core selfishness of my alcoholism would not allow any desire to give, only to get. The moment I entered Alcoholics Anonymous and stopped drinking, the example of members began teaching me our “guiding principle” of giving. They insisted this was not a suggestion, but a must, if I were to live a sober and happy life. My favorite bunch of tricky drunks led the way, carrying me to numerous institutional meetings and on Twelve Step calls. They were the Kings of giving, and freely gave to me.

God bless you.
Joe W.

[bluidkiti]

November 14

BRIDGE TO JOY

“How can I best serve Thee, Thy will (not mine) be done.” Alcoholics Anonymous, page 85

"If anyone wants to be first, he must be the very last, and the servant of all." Mark 9:35

For what it’s worth: My alcoholic drinking drove everyone away and shoved me into isolation from people and God. Neither He nor anyone else did anything for me, so why should I do anything for them? This attitude came with me into Alcoholic Anonymous and would have forced me back out except for the unconditional acceptance I found from the people and from their merciful God. They introduced me to Him and He and I have grown close. It was their example that taught me how to serve others without return. Yet, I reap treasured rewards with every effort I make to do God’s will serving others. It has been a bridge to joy.

God bless you.
Joe W.