The Bafflednesses

In the halls of recovery we often quote and cling to the " The Promises."  (taken from the "Big book" Alcoholics Annonymous)  We find great hope and share this hope with others through these words: 

The Promises

If we are painstaking about this phase of our development we will be amazed before we are halfway through.  We are going to know a new freedom and a new happiness.  We will not regret the past nor wish to shut the door on it.  We will comprehend the word serenity and we will know peace.  No matter how far down the scale we have gone, we will see how our experience can benefit others.  That feeling of uselessness and self pity will disappear.

We will lose interest in selfish things and gain interest in our fellows.  Self-seeking will slip away.  Our whole attitude and outlook upon life will change.  Fear of people and economic insecurity will leave us. We will intuitively know how to handle the situations that use to baffle us.  We will suddenly realize that God is doing for us what we could not do for ourselves.   

Are these extravagant promises?  We think not.  They are being fulfilled among us - sometimes quickly, sometimes slowly.  They will always materialize if we work towards them.  

I was thinking the other day what it would be like if we chose to not pursue recovery.  What if we do something opposite would we get something kind of "opposite" of ThePpromises?  So here is, life without applyiing these recovery principles, life that stays the same; I give you...

The Baffledednesses

If we are somewhat haphazard about this thing called recovery, we will be just as confused or even more so than when we began.  We will find no new freedom or happiness.  The past will continue to haunt and beat us up.  The word serenity equals “HUH?!” and there is no peace.  We will continue to plummet down the path of uselessness and self pity.  

 We will worry constantly about ourselves and care less about others.  Our attitude and outlook on life remains hopeless.  Fear and insecurity surround us.  We are overwhelmed and baffled by most situations and continue to try to do for ourselves what God WANTS TO DO FOR US!  

Is this too often true?  I am afraid so it is happening among us all to often –  when we stop seeking Him and stop moving forward in our recovery.