"Now [December 1934], he and Lois were waiting for the end. Now, there was nothing ahead but death and madness. This was the finish, the jumping-off place. 'The terrifying darkness had become complete,' Bill said. 'In agony of spirit, I again thought of the cancer of alcoholism which had now consumed me in mind and spirit, and soon the body.' The abyss gaped before him. "In his helplessness and desperation, Bill cried out, 'I'll do anything, anything at all!'...With neither faith nor hope, he cried, 'If there be a God, let Him show Himself!' "What happened next was electric....'I became acutely conscious of a Presence which seemed like a veritable sea of living spirit.'"
c. 1984, "Pass It On...The Story of Bill Wilson and How the A.A. Message Reached the World," pages 120-121 ********************************************************
From "Because I'm an Alcoholic:"
"For weeks I sat in the back of the rooms, silent when others shared their experience, strength, and hope. I listened to their stories and found so many areas where we overlapped -- not all of the deeds, but the feelings of remorse and hopelessness. I learned that alcoholism isn't a sin, it's a disease. That lifted the guilt I had felt. I learned that I didn't have to stop drinking forever, but just not pick up that first drink one day, one hour at a time. There was laughter in those rooms and sometimes tears, but always love, and when I was able to let it in, that love helped me heal."
c. 2001, Alcoholics Anonymous, page 344
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Easy Does it..Keep It Simple..Let Go and Let God..
If you must love your neighbor as yourself, it is at least as fair to love yourself as your neighbor. --Nicholas De Chamfort
We sometimes find it difficult to accept a compliment. We may feel we don't deserve such attention, and point out reasons why the compliment is untrue. When we act this way, we show a lack of love for ourselves.
God teaches us to love our neighbors as ourselves. Yet, before we can love anyone, we must believe we are worthy of the same love. No creature is undeserving of love, God reminds us of that. We can stop hiding behind feelings of unworthiness. There's nothing stopping us but ourselves. Sometimes it takes courage to say thank you when we get a compliment. Let's exercise that courage, and each time we do, we'll find our self-love growing.
When I thank people today, will I have the courage to smile, too?
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Easy Does it..Keep It Simple..Let Go and Let God..
