What I Was Unable to do for Myself
Chet R. Part 3- Nov. 30 With Gratitude
“Above all, I am grateful to A.A. for my sobriety, which means so much to my family, friends, and business associates, because God and A.A. were able to do for me something I was unable to do for myself.”
-Alcoholics Anonymous p. 392
Gratitude is shown with our feet. What am I doing today for the program of AA and Al-Anon to show just how grateful I am for recovery? I can say that I have gratitude and feel completely grateful, and yet, without action, these attitudes may be fleeting.
Chet R. showed his gratitude with a total commitment to the AA program. He had the willingness to do everything the program required of him. He knew that sobriety had to come before everything else in his life. He knew that his very life depended on finding a Higher Power and living a spiritual experience. These were not just ideas—they were a way of life.
Many people come into AA and get something out of it. However, if I am focused on what I am going to get out of AA, there is a good chance I won’t stay. Sure, in our early days, we rely heavily on the taking part of the program. But when we carry this attitude into years of sobriety, it starts to lose its appeal and once again our lives have become all about us.
Many of us struggle to give back to AA. Either our lives get good—and busy or we feel a lack of confidence in our own abilities. Chet R. gave to the program willingly from his first days in AA. No matter how we get there, we will eventually show our gratitude through our actions, or we will leave. And for me, leaving is not an option today.
Today’s Prayer
God, thank you for the many AA’s who have come before me. They have shown me the way to stay in the program.