“Thus was I convinced that God is concerned with us humans when we want Him enough.”
I was talking to someone who was presently unhappy, and we
noticed three things: the person used the phrases ‘I think’ and ‘I want’ and
also, in the presentation of the situation, did not mention God.
When I’m thinking and wanting, and ego-ing (edging God out),
of course I’m unhappy.
I have to decide first what to want (God) and, based on
that, I will be told what to do.
I open the mind, and the thoughts happen to me, suddenly.
When I’m serving God, this happens:
“He suddenly realized that in order to save himself he must carry his message to another alcoholic.” (Foreword to the Second Edition, Big Book)
Or this:
“Ideas, emotions, and attitudes which were once the guiding forces of the lives of these men are suddenly cast to one side, and a completely new set of conceptions and motives begin to dominate them.” (Chapter 2, Big Book)
Or this:
“We will suddenly realize that God is doing for us what we could not do for ourselves.” (Chapter 6, Big Book)
Suddenly, suddenly, suddenly.
Let’s look at Jim’s story, the life based on self; not bad,
but based on self.
“I came …, I remember …, I felt …, I had …, I owned …, I had …, I decided …, I felt …, I stopped …, I had …, I thought …, I had the notion …, I had …, I had …, I sat down …, I ordered …, I decided …” (Chapter 3, Big Book)
Suddenly:
“Suddenly the thought crossed my mind that if I were to put an ounce of whiskey in my milk it couldn’t hurt me on a full stomach.” (Chapter 3, Big Book)
The wrong suddenly flows from a life based on self.
The best sudden realisation: the realisation that I do not
know:
“It was as if we were actors on a stage, suddenly realizing that we did not know a single line of our parts.” (Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions)
When I don’t know, and I know I don’t know, I am open to the
right suddenly.
What’s your experience?