“OMG, I’m so co-dependent; I’m powerless over people, places & things.”

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

Awareness

Anthony DeMello

An attachment destroys your capacity to love. When we die to the need for outside stimulation, the spiritual journey begins. It is solitude, it is aloneness, and the desert begins to flower. Then at last we’ll know what love is, what God is, what reality is. But in the beginning giving up any drug can be tough, unless you have a very keen understanding or unless you have suffered enough. It’s a great thing to have suffered. Only then can you get sick of it. Make use of suffering to end suffering. Spirituality is awareness, awareness, awareness.

Adapted from Awareness

Daily Reflections

“Having a right relationship with God seemed to be an impossible order. My chaotic past had left me filled with guilt and remorse and I wondered how this “God business” could work. You told me that I must turn my will and my life over to the care of God, as I understand Him. With nowhere else to turn, I went down on my knees and cried, “God, I can’t do this. Please help me?” It was when I admitted my powerlessness that a glimmer of light began to touch my soul; then a willingness emerged to let God control my life. With Him as my guide, great events began to happen, and I found the beginning of sobriety.”

Adapted from Daily Reflections

Twenty-Four Hours a Day

Meditation for the Day “God is good. You can often tell whether or not a thing is of God. If it is of God, it must be good. Honesty, purity, unselfishness, and love are all good, unselfish helpfulness is good, and these things all lead to the abundant life. Leave in God's hands the present and the future, knowing only that He is good. The hand that veils the future is the hand of God. He can bring order out of chaos, good out of evil, and peace out of turmoil. We can believe that everything really good comes from God and that He shares His goodness with us. Prayer of the Day Today, I pray that I may reach out for the good. I pray that I may try to choose the best in life.”

Reflect — Steve L.'s own words

I woke up one day. OMG, I’m so co-dependent; I’m powerless over people, places & things. I’m clean and sober, but this disease goes deeper than I thought. I called my sponsor. He listened for a minute, then said, “Steve, this is good. The more powerless and hopeless you feel and the more dis-ease you discover allows us to open a bigger door for God. Read We Agnostics again, make some notes. Then read A Vision For You. Makes more notes and meet me tomorrow. PS. Call someone who might be hurting.” Then, he hung up! There I was, alone with my uncomfortableness. I didn’t want to pick up a drink or chemical, so I did what he said. It worked, and it keep working!

Last night on the phone with my son and grandkids, we celebrated Kavika’s 10th birthday. Having just been with them for 8 days, it was so cool to see him and his sister with some missing baby teeth. They are growing up so fast! My son and his wife are planning their next adventure, and hopefully we’ll be able to all be together again in March. Thanks for helping me turn my thoughts away from dis-ease and to focus on how to be loving and in the moment!

When I’ve got no one else to depend on, I can turn to God. With that attachment, It’s a new life; not one of pride, condemnation & self-pity, but one filled with love and purpose.