Ongoing recovery is dependent on our relationship with a loving God who cares for us and will do for us what we find impossible to do for ourselves.
Basic Text, p. 99
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Working the Twelve Steps of Narcotics Anonymous gives us a fresh start in life and some guidance for living in the world.But the steps are more than a fresh start.When we do our best to work the steps, we develop a relationship with our personal Higher Power.
In the Third Step, we decide to allow a loving God to influence our lives.Much of the courage, trust, and willingness we need to continue through the succeeding steps comes from this decision.In the Seventh Step, we go even further by asking this Higher Power to change our lives.The Eleventh Step is a way for us to improve the relationship.
Recovery is a process of growth and change in which our lives are renewed.The Twelve Steps are the roadmap, the specific directions we take in order to continue in recovery.But the support we need to proceed with each step comes from our faith in a Higher Power, the belief that all will be well.Faith gives us courage to act.Each step we work is supported by our relationship with a loving God.
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Just for today: I will remember that the source of my courage and willingness is my relationship with my Higher Power.
This Just for Today is so awesome. I never thought twice about a higher power until I got in the rooms. I use to be my own higher power and do what I wanted at all times and then didn't take responsibility for those actions. When I went to rehab last summer and they started teaching me not to be afraid of the thought of a higher power, I finally gave in and CONSIDERED it. I thought about the higher power concept constantly until something clicked and I realized there MUST be a power out there greater than me because I obviously didn't create everything around me. Since I had that moment of realization, things have been going so much better than I would have ever expected. I give a lot of that credit to my higher power, and the fact that I pray (which I've never done in my life prior to getting clean), but I also give partial credit to myself for doing the next right thing. Its amazing how good life can be when you don't have to look over your shoulder all the time and have to wait for consequences to catch up to you for something you did. So anyway, I have a great healthy relationship today with my higher power and I actually feel somewhat safe, I know life still happens and there will still be ups and downs in my road and that's alright because now I am equipped with some coping skills that I never had before. I love this Just for Today.
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There is a difference between giving up and knowing when you've had enough.
I'm not as good as I want to be or as great as I will be, but I am better than what I use to be!
