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.
Todays reading is about our interpretation of God as we understood Him. (Step 3: Made a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of God as we understood Him.). The writer describes having some trouble with this phrase after a short time in al-anon. While some struggle with the idea of embracing the spiritual within the program, for the writer, when others spoke of a Higher Power, he/she felt it sacrilegious. As someone who had been raised by devout parents, consistently church-going, the writer felt other people needed only to understand God as he/she did! It was at this time of self righteousness that the writers HP sent a spiritual awakening: look around and and learn from those who are there in the rooms, happy, free and peaceful. The writer came to realize that letting go of understanding anything about God left room for experiencing Him through working the steps, attending meetings, sharing with a sponsor and serving.
This reading makes me think of the times I have demanded petulantly of God: why?. Looking for/demanding answers to situations beyond my control, and getting angry when I couldnt find them. Over time my conversations with God have changed from a demanding why to please let me see what I am meant to see. As an adult I think we cannot possibly understand God, but the experiences, as those found in todays reading: fellowship, witness, service to others, are some of the ways we can experience that Presence. The writer describes that the actions in program work helped him/her come to know the love and peace of relying on a Power greater than myself.
The Thought for the Day reminds us: There are many ways of understanding my Higher Power.
Thank you for your service, Mary, and both for comments above.
This is a great topic. I so appreciated how ALanon encourages ALL to step away from previously formed and held beliefs on the topic and reimagine their concept, both believers and non.
For me, this helped me realize that this truly was not about religion or fitting into a particular set of beliefs, but a spiritual program where we all had room to grow.
By keeping an open mind, I was able to learn a great deal from other members, including those with very different religious beliefs, without feeling threatened. I could take what I liked and truly leave the rest, until I built and held a concept that truly resonated within me, not anyone else.
In this way, the wisdom of the program helps us avoid the endless wrangling, disputes, or harsh authoritarianism that comes along with forcing all to hold a single, arbitrary concept. We all can grow alongside each other, share the same language, walk our own path...so grateful
__________________
Paul
"...when we try to control others, we lose the ability to manage our own lives." - Paths to Recovery
