March 1

FAITH MONTH: DAY 1: “Your hardest times often lead to the greatest moments of your life. Keep going. Tough situations build strong people in the end.” ― Roy T. Bennett

When we talk about Step 3 and the faith it takes to turn our wills and our lives over, this is one of the quotes I most often remember.

I love that we balk against this idea with so much energy. When we can all remember what a terrible feeling we had about ourselves just before we got here. Maybe for many years before we got here. But, the truth is this: we destroyed everything we touched. Then we get a break…I love to call it Grace. And we are so  arrogant we do not know if we can turn our will and our lives over. Really?

Think about how crazy this is. Like we are so successful that we question what might happen when that Power takes over. Really?

All I know is that there is a line in Step 10 in the 12×12 that speaks of meeting “Calamity with Serenity.” I love that line. My life was total calamity when I got here.

By taking the tiniest step ever toward Step 3, it was matched with serenity. All the crap was cleared away in the ensuing steps. And the mess I had made was turned into the beginnings of a beautiful life and a beautiful world.

Even the crap that had kept me convinced I was nothing but a ball of shame and rage. Being such a victim of so many people and situations that had occurred in my life. A lot of rage…a lot of shame. Between the two, it is amazing I had any sense of identity left.

Every line of this quote speaks of having faith that what happens in  our lives is all right. That “nothing, absolutely nothing happens in God’s world by mistake.” Faith is what we have when we have worked from Acceptance and Hope into taking the first action we are called upon to take. “Made a decision…” It is the action of letting it all be in the past and moving into this moment of wanting something new and different that is being offered and letting go of what was to step into what could be.

That huge jump is an act of faith…a big one. A  life changing one. And we can use those experiences and the strength we gained from holding on to the pain and rage just long  enough to get here and let it all go.

Yay! The greatest moments are so simple…the first sober job, the first sober home, the first sober steps of cleaning up our own wreckage instead of expecting others to do it for us. The first chips, the first cakes, the first time we get off probation or parole. So many great moments. They are way more important than winning an Academy Award or the lottery. And we are stronger than we will ever know, because we walked through hell for those moments. And we let go of hell to hang onto the faith that we can live in heaven every day. I love this!