Pleas read this!!!!!

[jada311]

Something to ponder. What GOD might have said to Alcoholics Anonymous:





Into your weak and feeble hands I have entrusted a Power beyond estimate. To you has been given that which has been denied the most learned of your fellows. Not to scientists or statesmen, not to wives or mothers, not even to my priests and ministers have I given this gift of healing other alcoholics, which I entrust to you. It must be used unselfishly. It carries with it grave responsibility. No day can be too long, no demands upon your time can be too urgent, no case too pitiable, no task too hard, no effort too great. It must be used with Tolerance for I have restricted its application to no race, no creed and no denomination. Personal criticism you must expect, lack of appreciation will be common, ridicule will be your lot, your motives will be misjudged. Success will not always attend your efforts in your work with other alcoholics. You must be prepared for adversity, for what men call adversity is the ladder you must use to ascend the rungs toward Spiritual perfection, and remember in the exercise of this power I shall not exact of you beyond your capabilities.
You are not selected because of exceptional talents and be careful always if success attends your efforts, not to ascribe to personal superiority, that to which you can lay claim only by virtue of My gift. If I had wanted learned men to accomplish this mission the power would have been entrusted to the physician and scientist. If I had wanted eloquent men there would have been many anxious for the assignment, for talk is the easiest used of all talents with which I have endowed mankind. If I had wanted scholarly men, the world is filled with better qualified than you who would have been available. You were selected because you have been the outcasts of the world and your long experience as a drunkard has made, or should make you humbly alert to the cries of distress that comes from the lonely hearts of alcoholics everywhere. Keep ever in mind the admission that you made on the day of your profession into A.A., namely that you are powerless and that it was only with your willingness to turn your life and will into My keeping, that relief came to you.

Think not, that because that you have been dry for one year or two years, or ten years, that it is the result of your unaided efforts. The help which has kept you normal will keep you so just as long as you live this program, which I have mapped out for you. Beware of the pride which comes from growth, the power of numbers and of invidious comparisons between yourselves; or of your organization with other organizations whose success depends upon members power, money and position. These material things are no part of your creed. The success of material organizations arises out of the strength of their individual members; the success of yours from a common helplessness. The power of material organizations comes from the pooling of joint assets; yours from the union of mutual liabilities. Appeal for membership in material organizations is based upon a boastful recital of their accomplishments; yours upon the humble admission of weakness; the motto of the successful commercial enterprise is: "He profits most who serves best"; yours: "He serves best who seeks no profit." The wealth of material organizations when they take their inventory is measured by what they have left; yours when you take moral inventory by what you have given.

[Tazman53]

In reading the BB there is no doubt in my mind that a Power greater then Bill W. guided his hand as he wrote it.

The only thing I give myself credit for is surrendering and continuing to maintain my spiritual condition. The only will of mine I try to use is to do His will, not mine!

[jimhere]

This is called "Why You Were Chosen" and I believe it was written by a judge in Chicago in the forties. I've always liked it, however, I've heard some AA's refer to us as "God's chosen," like we are special or something. Now, I like to think I'm special, but what I have to realize is that it is my dark past and sometimes my dark present that are my greatest asset in helping other alcoholics. It is not my virtues that make me useful in Alcoholics Anonymous, but my shortcomings and mistakes. so, I am nothing special, but because of my experience, I can be uniquely useful to another alcoholic.


Having said all that, I do realize the great responsibility we've given. "To whom much is given, much will be asked." I've always needed a reason to get up in the morning beyong just going to work. I am not the type of person who can be satisfied with just getting up and going to work and getting up and coming home and going to bed and then getting up and starting all over. Life has to have some depth and purpose and meaning. Look what God has done for those of us that are wired that way. New people put their lives in our hands on a daily basis. Now there is depth and purpose and meaning, and it is an awesome responsibility that I do not take lightly.

There is one sentence in the book that says it all for me. "We have recovered and been given the power to help others." That is what power is for, to use it for anything else is a waste of spirit. But then again, all the power that God has is mine as long as I use it for what it is for.
Jim

Big Book quotes from Alcoholics Anonymous, First Edition

[fraankie]

all i know
is if you were in my boat
you would have drank
give me some credit
a "good job"
a pat on the back
a 'go for it"
a thumb's up
i mean,
it is no easy task to be an inspiration for family values, job ethics, relationship enchacing, etc
i got it from my parents
the things i do today
AA is nice
God is nicer
but
father knows best


frankie

[jada311]

Jim,
I absolutely agree with you Humility is a must. Like TAZ said the only thing I did is screw my life up so bad that I absolutely had to take direction from someone I believed was like me and recovered. This was taken from the Judge speech...good call. I was at a few workshops this past weekend and this was read very powerful stuff.

[BP44]

Jim, there are all kinds of things one will hear in AA describing the alcoholic. We are God's chosen, we are above average intelligence or borderline geniuses, over creative, with colorful imaginations. Mind you, the only place in the world you will hear this is in an AA meeting. It's good just to be another bozo on the bus.

[Tazman53]

Jim, there are all kinds of things one will hear in AA describing the alcoholic. We are God's chosen, we are above average intelligence or borderline geniuses, over creative, with colorful imaginations. Mind you, the only place in the world you will hear this is in an AA meeting. It's good just to be another bozo on the bus.

What was it we were described as by shrinks??????? GRANDIOSE!!!!! LOL

Illusions of grandure, I can still get quite full of myself at times, not a pompous ass, but being an alcoholic I have been known to sing accolades of alcoholics!!!!!