We feel a man is unthinking when he says sobriety is enough. ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS, p. 82
When I reflect on Step Nine, I see that physical sobriety must be enough for me. I need to remember the hopelessness I felt before I found sobriety, and how I was willing to go to any lengths for it. Physical sobriety is not enough for those around me, however, since I must see that God’s gift is used to build a new life for my family and loved ones. Just as importantly, I must be available to help others who want the A.A. way of life. I ask God to help me share the gift of sobriety so that its benefits may be shown to those I know and love.
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I have found by doing this program for 23+ years that sobriety is a total overhaul in thinking, action and living.
Just not drinking is just that.
Having a sweet relationship with a loving caring God through working the steps is much more and more worthwhile.
It happens to be the type of feeling I was seeking through the bottle — to no avail except miserable consequences.
I’m Harry, an alcoholic who wouldn’t take a pretty for sobriety.
Sobriety, abstinence is just the beginning. It must be the beginning of builing a life that was so damaged to my family and others by this devastating disease. Step 4 showed me the damage done. Steps8and 9 were easy compared to the clean up of the tornado I was in my home. I need a Power mor powerful than this killer disease to clean up after me to help me build a better life. I call this Power, theGod of my understanding. He has shown me a better life that ever could be imagined.
Janice
My life of dissipation is overcome by spiritual reparation. Thank God for the fellowship of AA!
We were created to fellowship with God, by one man’s disobedience that fellowship was broken, but the good news is that by one man’s obedience to the cross that fellowship has been restored. Our number one purpose in life is to tell others and encourage them to believe.
For me the emotional and spiritual growth and maturation that AA gives to me is something I couldn’t handle on my own hence the reason I drank. For me the physical sobriety is certainly more easy than the emotional sobriety but I can do both with the help of my God and the fellowship of AA. The happiness, peace, love and joy that I feel (most days) is one I’ve never known before and wish it for everyone.
RE:total overhaul.
I remember coming home from one of my first AA meetings and calling to my wife,”Hi honey, I’m home. Turns out they only want me to change one thing-and that’s everything”! In those earlier attempts at sobriety, I thought this was completely unreasonable and undoable. Now after several attempts, I am coming to realize how true this is and really, how painless it was. My days are more centered around getting to a meeting than getting around to drinking.
RE: sharing with others.
Can a newcomer effectively “spread the word” when most of their experience has been on staying sober?
Dennis L
Something Harry said reminded me what I heard in a meeting: “I was looking for The Promises to come out of a bottle many years before I came to the program”. It didn’t work for me either. Trying to stay dry without a a spiritual program always ended up self- serving and self-limited. Sharing the gifts of sobriety and cultivating- however haltingly- patience, tolerance and love through this program has allowed me to rejoin humanity and permits me to be happy, joyous and free to a degree I never thought possible.
Insert “love” where the word god is and you find the next right thing. Don’t drink and LOVE. Love like you think god does. Ever tolerant and forgiving. Action. The action is always love and done with love.