[bluidkiti]

January 9

Wisdom for Today
Transformation seems to be a common occurrence in the program. It is not what I read in a book or even what I heard someone say at a meeting that convinced me that the program works. What really convinced me was seeing what happened in my own life and what I saw happen in the lives of others. I mean, after all, here I was a drunk and a drug addict. I could not stop on my own, but now I was alcohol and drug free. As I saw new people come into the program, I watched the same thing happen to them, if they were willing to go to the necessary lengths.

But it was not just abstinence that convinced me; it was how my life was changed. There was a real level of pathology in my thinking, emotional responses and behaviors. My beliefs were all screwed up. Working my way through the Steps, I became a useful person in society. I saw myself make changes in my thinking, emotional responses and behaviors. I saw myself change my belief system. I saw these things occur in my life and in the lives of others. Transformation does indeed happen in the Twelve Step program. Seeing is believing. Have I seen change in my life and in the lives of those who surround me?
Meditations for the Heart
Am I willing to do the next right thing? It is easy to pay lip service to this question and say “yes,” but it is much harder to actually do this day in and day out. Over time I have become convinced that the only way to accomplish this is to have a strong spiritual foundation. This means believing in a divine principle, that God is in charge. I need to be willing to let my Higher Power run the show and trust that He has the knowledge and the love to lead me in the right direction. The other factor involved in this divine principle is the willingness to actually accept and follow this guidance. Most of the time it is easy to know what my Higher Power would want me to do. The hard part is then doing it. Obedience is not always easy; but I have found that when I do follow God’s directions, I am less likely to get lost. In the long run this divine principle is the easier, softer way. Do I seek after this divine principle in all that I do?
Petitions to my Higher Power
God,

Sometimes it is not easy to follow Your directions. I find there are things that come up in my life, and I do not want to seek You out for guidance. Yet, time and time again, I see that following You is the easier, softer way in the long run. When I get stubborn or foolish, guide me back to this path. Keep me on the path of truth.

Amen.