“Today, opening my heart to gratitude & wonder is the challenge, to turn off my mind to understand and be in control again.”

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 Daily Reader for Contemplative Living

Thomas Keating

In this spiritual journey, we must expand our idea of God. It allows us to challenge our whole perception of reality. The way we see life is the tissue of our generic, educational, cultural, religious and any other conditioning; we see what we want to see. God must fit into the little universe that we’ve built for ourselves - the false self, that basically has I as the center of the universe. Today, I ask for the strength, courage and guidance to expand my concept of a Higher Power.

Adapted from The Daily Reader for Contemplative Living

FINDING “A REASON TO BELIEVE”

A line from a song goes, “and I look to find a reason to believe.” At one time I was not able to find a reason to believe that my life was OK. Even though my life had been saved by my coming to A.A, three months later I went out and drank again. Someone told me: “You don’t have to believe. Aren’t you willing to believe that there is a reason for your life, even though you may not know what that reason is, or that you may not sometimes know the right way to behave?” When I saw how willing I was to believe there was a reason for your life, then I could start to work on the Steps. Now when I begin with, “I am willing . . . , “ I am using the key that leads to action, honesty, and an openness to a Higher Power moving through my life.

Adapted from Daily Reflections

Twenty-Four Hours a Day

Meditation for the Day You should try to stand aside and let God work through you. You should try not to block Him off by your own efforts or prevent His Spirit working through you. God desires your obedient service and your loyalty to the ideals of the new life you are seeking. If you are loyal to God, He will give you protection against mistakes. His Spirit will plan for you and secure for you a sufficiency of all spiritual help. You will have true victory and real success, if you will put yourself in the background and let God work through you. Prayer for the Day I pray that I may not interfere with the working of God's Spirit in me and through me. I pray that I may give God’s Spirit full rein.

Reflect — Steve L.'s own words

Early on in recovery, looking for the replacement for sense of power and confidence drugs & alcohol gave me, my sponsor told me to read some of the stories in the Big Book.

Thumbing through, there were many that made me curious, but “Keys of the Kingdom” really caught my eye. I was looking for Something to give me more of an inner acceptance of my condition, and for hope in recovery. Questions like “why me?” and filled with the guilt of “I should have stopped earlier,” I started reading it. Today, it is still one of my favorite stories.

After spending 8 days in London visiting my son Josh and his family, today’s readings hit me hard. First, before recovery, my only concept of God was that He put me here and now it was all up to me. The 2nd false belief I had was that a personal relationship with God was only a Christian concept for followers of Jesus! Like in Bill’s Story, “How blind I had been.”

Today, opening my heart to gratitude & wonder is the challenge, to turn off my mind to understand and be in control again. It’s a day at a time, sometimes moment at a time journey. But in time, the “Language of the Heart” that’s shared in meetings and in what we read breaks thru. Coming to a bottom gave me a reason to believe; living life without any buffers continue that journey to expand my concept of God. It’s definitely not me!