[nandm]

Day 1

Keeping the faith

"It's been my experience tht folks who have no vices have very few virtues."

In the Second Step we talked of being restored to sanity by a power greater than ourselves. In the Third, we made a decision to turn our will and our lives over to that power. In the Fifth, we admitted the nature of our wrongs to God. And in the Sixth, we announced our readiness for His intervention.

With the Seventh Step comes our true expresssion of faith. Now we must eliminate any remaining fantasy that we can really handle our own recovery. Without arrogance, we must ask His assistance in removing our shortcomings.

We've all been brainwashed by the good old American rallying cry that all we need to do is pull ourselves up by our bootstraps, dust ourselves off and make a brand-new start.

And this it true---to a certain extent. Certainly, our own efforts are a major factor in our recovery. And yet, without the help of a greater power, we'll find ourselves floundering in that same old rut we've worked so hard to escape. Our personal courage and drive are important assets, to be sure. But the moment we have doubts about the strength of the program and begin to believe, once more, in our own omnipotence, the downward spiral threatens once again.

Today's step: I will replace fear with faith.

Step by Step. Muriel Zink