What I did was take a good look at what kind of job I did running my own life while drinking. I was suicidal, broke, unemployed, living with my parents, and had completely isolated myself from the rest of the world. With my track record I figured it couldn't hurt to give God a shot at running things. Remember the step says "Made a
decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of God as we understood him". I like the following analogy I heard from a speaker on step 3. He said there are 2 birds sitting on a branch. One bird decided to fly away. How many birds are on the branch now? The answer is 2. The bird decided to fly away, that doesn't mean he actually flew away yet. It was my experience that making a decision was all that was needed at this point.
I needed to remember that this decision was going to be to God
as I understand him. It also helped to remember that I was deciding to turn my will and my life over
to the care of God. That means He is going to take care of me if I let him. At the end of the 3rd step in the BB is the 3rd step declaration (prayer). I don't think I meant it at the beginning, but my sponsor told me to say it on my knees every day. I had to remember that my personal God is very understanding, forgiving, loving, and has a sense of humor
. I think he knew that I was honestly trying to turn my will and life over to His care, and after saying that prayer for about a week I felt like I started to mean it, even if I took my will back from time to time (OK a lot).
I think that it is no accident that steps 2 and 3 are worded the way they are. I think the wording allows someone who is willing to be open minded about God to open the door just enough to allow God in. By the time I finished the steps I had been restored to sanity (step 2) and my will and my life was now in God's hands (step 3). Somewhere along the line it just happened (somewhere between 4 and 10). Try and remember that no one can work these steps perfectly. I found that by the time I finished the steps I was connected to God and I preferred to let God run my life. I still have to remind myself to ask God to show me what his will for me is every day. As I
practice this more I seem to make the right decision more often (not every time), and because of that life is no longer a struggle.