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At this juncture, his A.A, sponsor usually laughs. This, the newcomer thinks, is just about the last straw. This is the beginning of the end. And so it is: the beginning of the end of his old life, and the beginning of his emergence into a new one. His sponsor probably says, "Take it easy. The hoop you have to jump through is a lot wider than you think. At least I've found it so. So did a friend of mine who was a one-time vice-president of the American Atheist Society, but he got through with room to spare."
"Well," says the newcomer, "I know you're telling me the truth. It's no doubt a fact that A.A, is full of people who once believed as I do. But just how, in these circumstances, does a fellow `take it easy'? That's what I want to know."
"That," agrees the sponsor, "is a very good question indeed. I think I can tell you exactly how to relax. You won't have to work at it very hard, either.
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When I came in, it was suggested that I get a group, get a sponsor, and get active. Active in service in the group, setting it up, putting chairs away, making coffee, doing dishes, standing at the door as a greeter. My sponsor said, "You are only half a hand shake you know." This Step is one of the reasons I needed a sponsor. I thought I knew who God was and didn't have much faith. My sponsor shared at a meeting that she was 18 years sober and her Higher Power was a leprechaun sitting on her shoulder. I figured if anyone could stay sober with a Higher Power like that, then maybe she could help me. She ended up firing me and said that I was too sick, and she wasn't well enough to give me the attention I needed. I later went back to her and asked her again when I had about three years. She made me aware that a Higher Power wasn't this preconceived idea that I had form childhood and that I had to make God personal. My service sponsor told me that I could believe in any HP as long as it wasn't me. For me it was a process and as I healed I gained new awareness. God was doing for me what I hadn't been able to do for myself. I didn't put a face on God, it was a Power that worked in my life that allowed me to stay clean and sober, that guided and directed me one day at a time. God had always been that distant being out there busy making the world go round. My Higher Power for me was the Spirit of God that came to me when I surrendered and asked for Help. I like to think of it as my Higher Self or Inner Self or the (W)Holy Spirit. That same sponsor told me that she thought that my Higher Power spoke to me through music. I learned to look at nature and became aware of the power and majesty of it and knowing that if a blade of grass, a small leaf bud, a tiny guppy, etc. could all get just what they need (the right amount of sun, air, water, etc.) then why shouldn't my needs be met. I became a part of the whole. As I read one time, "A stone doesn't have legs because it has people to move it from where it is to where it need to go." I got very involved in crystals and the healing properties of them. I look at them as God's gift to me and each has a message for me if I am open to receive it. I carried an Amethyst for many years because of the following information:
Amethyst
Amethyst has long been called the "sobriety stone." In ancient Rome, crushed amethyst was added to wine cups to prevent drunkenness. It is said to assist with healing alcoholism, compulsive behaviors, and addictions of all kinds. Amethyst brings energies in mystical realms of stability, peace, calm, balance, courage and inner strength. It is often used in metaphysics and crystal healing to protect against psychic attacks. On the spiritual level, amethyst is said to help open to communication with angels, telepathy and other psychic abilities. It is thus an excellent stone for meditation or dream work, past life work, and to help you see your path. It has also been used to help ease the pain of grief, and promote happiness. Amethyst is reputed to be beneficial when dealing with legal problems, and money issues, which can lead to prosperity and abundance. Amethyst is also used as protection for travelers. Physically amethyst is said by spiritual healers and mystical lore to heal the withdrawal symptoms of any sort of addiction, help with headaches, insomnia, arthritis, pain relief, circulatory system issues, endocrine system problems, chronic fatigue, fibromyalgia, immune system deficiencies, and general healing. Amethyst is associated with the brow and the crown chakras.
Metaphysical & Mystical Healing Properties Lore
There were many people who told me God meant "Good Orderly Direction" and "Group of Drunks/Drug Addicts" showing me a better way to live. I know a woman who says, "My Parents" instead of God when she says the Lord's Prayer.
A lot of things I didn't know, but I learned to open my mind and listen to others and their beliefs and concepts and decide for myself, what God meant to me. I co-sponsored a fellow who belonged to S.O.S. <http://www.okcsos.com/> who was an atheist and he stayed sober for a year, relapsed and then got sober again and now does Bible Study with a church organization.
I believe in miracles. I am one.
To be continued...