“It was magic; letting go, surrender, new awakening & gratitude all mixed into one simple chant.”

Three readings. A song that says the rest. And inspiration for whatever this day is here to teach.

A lone surfer riding inside a great curling wave

Read — the readings that opened the day

The Answer Is You

I have good news and I have bad news: The bad news is that we have lost the key to the door behind which the secret of life is hidden. The good news is that it was never locked.

Adapted from The Answer Is You

Richard Rohr Daily Meditations

Richard Rohr

Contemplation is about seeing, but a kind of seeing that is much more than mere looking, because it also includes recognizing and thus appreciating. The contemplative mind does not tell us what to see but teaches us how to see what we behold. We stop believing our little binary mind, and begin to recognize the inadequacy of that limited way of knowing reality. In fact, a binary mind is a recipe for superficiality, if not silliness. Only the contemplative, or the deeply intuitive, can start venturing out into much broader and more open-ended horizons. This is probably why Einstein said that “Imagination is more important than knowledge. Knowledge is limited. Imagination  encircles the world.”

Adapted from Richard Rohr Daily Meditations

Today’s Gift from In God's Care: Daily Meditations on Spirituality in Recovery

Fortunately, our fellowship encourages us to share our innermost concerns with each other, and we usually find caring listeners when we do. This exchange rewards us with the clarity we need. We discover a power greater than ourselves, a wisdom in the group that transcends that of any individual. It's not by chance that we've been invited into one another's lives - as both teachers and students. What we share in any one moment may help others better understand their situation, and their response can enlighten us. Our tasks are to be honest, receptive, and willing to share and listen. Today, I will seek help for a troubling situation today by turning to others.

Twenty-Four Hours a Day

Meditation for the Day I must live in the world and yet live apart with God. I can go forth from my secret times of communion with God to the work of the world. To get the spiritual strength I need, my inner life must be lived apart from the world. I must wear the world as a loose garment. Nothing in the world should seriously upset me, as long as my inner life is lived with God. All successful living arises from this inner life. Prayer for the Day I pray that I may live my inner life with God. I pray that nothing shall invade or destroy that secret place of peace.

Reflect — Steve L.'s own words

At the Five Guys meeting, Jim E. said there was the time his buddy PaulF. told him what the most important prayer in recovery was. Then he passed! Everyone shared about The Spirit & gratitude as a replacement for drugs & alcohol.

A couple of miles away, I picked up the phone and called Jim, to talk about my crazy mind, grandiosity mixed with self-pity. Then I asked, “so what was the most important prayer?”

He said, “Steve, Paul told me it's ‘How can I best serve You, God; Thy Will Not Mine Be Done.” It was magic; letting go, surrender, new awakening & gratitude all mixed into one simple chant.

Thanks for a Solution far better than “why me, what’s going on, how can I manage better chatter that often takes on a life of its own. Once treated with a wild mixture of chemicals, today, because of You, the closer I am closer to fine!”