The material presented
here is not Al-Anon Conference Approved Literature. It is a method
to exchange
information, ideas, feelings, problems and solutions on a personal
level.
The author of today's reading in Hope for Today came into Al-Anon not interested in a Higher Power and skeptical of all the God references in the Twelve Steps. They didn't think they wanted or needed a higher power. Others in the program shared their own experiences without telling the author what to believe, or that they had to have the same beliefs to get what the program had to offer.
Eventually the author became willing and wanting to a have relationship with a higher power -- and is forever grateful to the people in the rooms who allowed them to find their own truth.
Thought for the Day: Al-Anon lets me grow in my own way, at my own pace.
Quote from As We Understood: "As Al-Anon members, we are encouraged to define spiritual concepts in our own terms and are free to arrive at our own spiritual truths."
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I too am so grateful that our program does not tell us what to believe about a higher power. When I first approached Al-Anon, I too was skeptical of religious references, but I was so desperate that I could not let that bother me. I came to understand that my higher power is the group, and all the amazing people who have been there for me in good times and bad, when hope was beyond imagining. I have to maintain conscious contact with them. There is a great sentence on this page -- "I will be forever grateful to all those people in all those rooms who, while knowing their own truth, allowed me to find mine."
What a gift to be allowed and encouraged to grow at our own pace and in our own direction! That is something I appreciate about Al-Anon. Where else are we ever told to take what we like and leave the rest? That God or higher power can be what we understand it to be? That we can have any religious faith or none?
I'm grateful to have found this page today. I am appreciating Hope for Today more and more. I had heard this daily reader was focused on those who grew up in alcoholic homes, and that is not my story. But nevertheless, there is plenty in this book that I can relate to.
-- Edited by Freetime on Thursday 17th of September 2020 11:13:02 PM
Thank you FT for your service and share. I also am not an ACOA. I grew up with a rageful brother and unprotecting parents. I also find I have almost everything in common with ACOA's and can always relate to Hope for Today. I think the rageful brother made an environment similar to that of an alcoholic home.
I have come to embrace Alanon as another Higher Power so to speak. Even though I have deep, long-standing faith (no formal religion), I see program as always here for me, guiding me, helping me, and a community of like-minded people that offer support and comfort without judgement. If that's not Higher Power, than what is? I'm lucky to have God and alanon on my side. Grateful member.
Thank you Freetime for the daily and your service. Thank you all for your shares and ESH. I was not thrilled by the references to God and a HP when I first arrived, simply because I grew up with organized religion and walked away for a variety of reasons. I could write a series of books on the things I witnessed and experienced in 12 Years of Catholic School - my 'walk-away' was justified for me at the time and I am still very cautious.
What I didn't realize for a long time is that I can have a relationship with the God of my understanding in lieu of organized/formal religion/gatherings. I don't need to set aside time each week to worship, I can worship any where, any way, any time, any place. I don't need to be on my knees to pray - I can pray while running, bathing, sleeping, golfing, driving, etc.
Recovery and those who came before me gave me the space, time and examples that allowed me to define my higher power and my relationship with said HP. I believe mine has a master plan and I'm a small part of a much bigger picture. I believe my HP knows I will make mistakes, bad choices, wrong turns, etc. and loves me unconditionally no matter what I do or don't do, say or don't say, etc. If I stay humble, willing and open, I always get the direction I need when I need it. I lastly feel deeply that my HP wants me to be happy, joyous and free so I am given 'gut feelings' to redirect when I'm headed contrarily.
I love taking my HP everywhere - walking, jogging, running, shopping, golfing, family, etc. I truly never feel alone - a lovely gift of practicing this program as best I can, one day at a time. I seem to hear/see exactly what I need no matter which reader I pick up and read from. I laugh at myself often as a page I've clearly read/seen before seems to speak to me differently now. I suppose that's growth - it didn't speak to me before yet now makes sense...
Happy Friday to one and all - make it a lovely day!
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Practice the PAUSE...Pause before judging. Pause before assuming. Pause before accusing. Pause whenever you are about to react harshly and you will avoid doing and saying things you will later regret. ~~~~ Lori Deschene
Wonderful share, ((((((((Freetime)))))) thank you for your service
ohhh the "God thing" yep...I was an agnostic at best, atheist at worst when i entered the rooms of Al-anon, thank God, they accepted me anyway, and the phrase "higher power AS I UNDERSTAND him" I even had trouble with that because I could not think of amale gender God as my offender was a male , so double whammy for me
Like you , I was so desperate to get better and I had sense enough to at least be OPEN, to be willing to look at the universe in a different way, slowly and I mean slow as molasses going up a hill, i embraced the higher power and I call HIM God, but yea, it took a lot of time, working the steps, being loved by others here, and LOTS of "borrowing" the HP/LOVE of another member to finally find, connect with and even come to love my OWN HP...
Steps 1-3 were the most difficult of the steps...Didn't think I would make it in program because of my difficulties and resentments to what God I did know about.....but slowly these steps became my friends because I knew that if I did not surrender to them, i would not grow much more, if any....
its still hard for me to not be in control, but I slowly am realizing that by non resistance, casting the burden, giving over control to my HP, i end up with more control, by letting go of the control.......
Lovely reading, and thanks Freetime. 
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