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5th Step; a recent experience

Old 04-08-2009, 10:10 AM
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5th Step; a recent experience

When I see that I'm wrapping up that dreaded inventory, I call my 5th step partner or spiritual advisor and arrange a place, a date, and a time.

I show up with my inventory and before we begin (keep in mind, you may be on the other side of the 5th step some day ) we review steps 1, 2, and 3 first.

My most profound 1st step experience ever came when I went over to Dr Death's home to 5th step. The first thing he did with me when I asked him to take me through the steps was to ask me to write a piece of inventory. Just one piece. So I brought it to him and he showed me how to write the columns. Then when I went to 5th step with him, he looked at my inventory and sent me home. He said, "This is your life and death here. This is sloppy. Get this dribble out of your 3rd column and put it back in the 2nd column where it belongs. Is it ok to write about my self and God? Sure. Get it down on paper. Don't judge your work. So after I'd gone back home and finished it, got a ruler out and made straight lines and wrote neatly, I was done.

So I went back to his home to 5th step. He said, "I don't know you. Tell me about your drinking." So I told him about my drinking. He said, "That's it?" So I dug down deep and just started talking about everytime I drank and got drunk from back when I was 10 years old to the present. I was shook up and about to explode. He looked at me and said, "Do you now believe that God can do for you .... what you cannot and take you further in every area of your life?" I said "Yes!" We then proceeded on to the 3rd step prayer. Then he said, "Read."

I shared my inventory with him and he shared some stuff with me too. When we were done, he said "Watch the road." I said, "What?" He said "Seriously, be careful driving home and watch the road. Go home and take the book down off the shelf and do what it says to do. Then go and meditate what you've done. Consider the 1st 5 proposals..."

Oh, I'm sorry! I said a recent experience! Well, most all of my inventories have gone that way. On this last one, when I was reading resentments against my brother, I literally got up and started pacing the floor, any my advisor said, "Sit down and settle down." I was feelin' it. I always love the way I feel when I finish 5th stepping. Unless I'd been sent home to rewrite the thing, I know that I'm lined up to finish the other steps; 6,7,8,9, and even 10. Then once I start 9, I can start on 10 and 11. Oops. Getting ahead of myself.

Add:

Whenever I baulk on any of these steps, a wonderful tool has been given to me; ask yourself if doing this step is harder than drinking down a bottle of Bourbon? Then I get to thinking, it's not that bad. If you feel like you might be sharing something with someone that will harm or affect them, don't do it. Find someone who's had your experience and gotten past it with God's help. If you go to enough speaker meetings, surely you'll find that person.
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Old 11-05-2009, 10:00 PM
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Recent experience with 5th step right now... who to hear it?

My "sponsor" or spiritual advisor or "closed-mouth friend" of the last 10 years and I sort of need a break from each other.

I arranged to meet with another guy from my group tonight and he stood me up. Bummer, but I got that sucker (4th Step) done.

I arranged to meet with another guy this weekend. We'll swap 5th Steps.

Hopefully be back in a few days to discuss.
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Old 11-05-2009, 10:23 PM
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dog, that was a good read ! thank you for posting it!
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Old 11-10-2009, 05:29 PM
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Well I got it 5th Stepped... finally. I made a foolish decision on the front end asking someone who is spiritually sick/lost and they didn't bother to show up... twice and didn't show much remorse over it.

But... in the end ... it's up to me to get it done.
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Old 11-19-2009, 10:17 PM
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Oh, I may have posted this elsewhere, but I went on with the rest of the steps...6, 7, 8, then set out and made my first amend.

The first guy on my list is someone who used to come to my homegroup meeting. He left because he and his wife were not treated kindly in our meeting for not ... conforming to our group conscience, I guess? The doing the steps yearly thing didn't seem to be his thing. And he's very active during hunting season. Not just for recreation, but it's sort of his career I think. He trains bird dogs.

Well anyways, he was kind of a 2nd sponsor to me. He's a lot of peoples' 1st sponsor. The kind of guy you can go have coffee with and just talk to.

Well anyways, we go in a big fight and unkind words were exchanged. This had gone on for ... almost a year. As I headed over to his place to make this amend, I'd remembered our latest exchange. He was rather insulting to me in front of a group of people. Even they pointed it out as rude. A good old fashioned justifiable resentment. Well... I headed over to his place after arranging the meeting before hand, and there he was. He poured me some coffee and I felt at home.

I cleared the air as to why I was there and made the amend. He... offered up some regret for ill feelings as well, told me I'd made a good amend and could go anytime I wanted to, but asked me to consider a few things. I told him I was enjoying our talk and would here him out.

He talked to me about the possibility of doing a multiple 5th step if I got the chance and focus in on "how I deny God in my life". I was interested. So... I asked him, "Will you hear my 5th step?"

So the next day, after making an amend to a guy, I'm sharing my 5th step with him.

It was an incredible experience.

I have one amend left and I'll do that tomorrow after lunch. I'm looking forward to being done.
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