“There I humbly offered myself to God, as I then understood Him, to do with me as He would. … I ruthlessly faced my sins and became willing to have my new-found Friend take them away, root and branch. … My schoolmate visited me, and I fully acquainted him with my problems and deficiencies. We made a list of people I had hurt or toward whom I felt resentment. I expressed my entire willingness to approach these individuals, admitting my wrong. Never was I to be critical of them. I was to right all such matters to the utmost of my ability. I was to test my thinking by the new God-consciousness within. Common sense would thus become uncommon sense. I was to sit quietly when in doubt, asking only for direction and strength to meet my problems as He would have me. Never was I to pray for myself, except as my requests bore on my usefulness to others. Then only might I expect to receive. But that would be in great measure.. My friend promised when these things were done I would enter upon a new relationship with my Creator; that I would have the elements of a way of living which answered all my problems.” (Chapter 1, Big Book)
The things: Steps Three through Eleven. When they were done (completed, except in as far as they are there to be taken each day), then a new relationship is established.
What is done can be undone. If I develop resentment, if I act harmfully, if I keep secrets, if I deliberately or negligently prosper or permit character defects, if I develop unmade amends, if I undo the work of Three through Nine, and if I do not, in Steps Ten through Twelve, place the doing of God’s will first—in particular the carrying of the message—the line of communication will be strained and then snapped. If I want to continue to receive direction and strength to follow that direction, the line must be kept intact and strong. When I feel lacking in direction and strength, there is something wrong with the line of communication, and what was once done has now been undone.