“If we are living by the Al-Anon counsel First Things First, prayer and meditation come before all else, since it is in this way that we receive guidance for our decisions.” (ODAT, 25 June)
The first counsel comes from Al-Anon: not the individuals
but the fellowship speaking through the literature.
That counsel is to put First Things First. Capitalised,
rightly, because the First Thing is God: above and beyond all things in my
life.
My job is to ask and then listen.
The voice is always clear.
The distortion comes from me.
This is why the preceding ten and the following step are
necessary: they clear the distortion.
The following step?
Yes, Step Twelve absorbs me in the work of the day, leaving
me no time to distort my perception by looking at everything from my point of
view. Instead: I attend to the tasks indicated, and, when I return to listen, I
can hear properly.