"The idea of a spiritual awakening takes many different forms in the different personalities that we find in the fellowship."
Basic Text, p. 49
Though we all work the same steps, each of us experiences the spiritual awakening resulting from them in our own way. The shape that spiritual awakening takes in our lives will vary, depending on who we are.
For some of us, the spiritual awakening promised in the Twelfth Step will result in a renewed interest in religion or mysticism. Others will awaken to an understanding of the lives of those around them, experiencing empathy perhaps for the first time. Still others will realize that the steps have awakened them to their own moral or ethical principles. Most of us experience our spiritual awakening as a combination of these things, each combination as unique as the individual who's been awakened.
If there are so many different varieties of spiritual awakenings, how do we know if we've truly had one? The Twelfth Step provides us with two signs: We've found principles capable of guiding us well, the kind of principles we want to practice in all our affairs. And we've begun to care enough about other addicts to freely share with them the experience we've had. No matter what the details of our awakenings are like, we all are given the guidance and the love we need to live fulfilling, spiritually oriented lives.
Just for Today: Regardless of its particular shape, my spiritual awakening has helped me fill my place in the world with love and life. For that, I am grateful.
When I asked my sponsor about "the" spiritual awakening, he informed me that there are likely to be many. As we journey further along in our recovery we awaken to new insights and levels of awareness. These can be about ourselves, our loved ones, humanity or God. I sometimes envy those pioneers of the 12 steps like Bill W. who had transformational experiences. What I hear people calling "burning bush" moments. I would love to have a single moment that changed my life forever from being fear based to being spiritually enlightened. (I'm reminded here to be careful what I wish for) LOL....I believe that I am growing spiritually, and that this growth will continue. Will I have my own sudden burning bush moment? Perhaps, although I doubt it. More likely for me is a gradually growing relationship with my higher power. And that's good enough.
