MANY OF YOU WILL NOT HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO VISIT THE MANY IMPORTANT HISTORICAL SITES OF THE FELLOWSHIP OF ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS.

I PLAN TO SHARE WITH YOU PHOTOS I HAVE TAKEN OF THEM AS WELL AS PHOTOS I HAVE TAKEN OF SPECIAL MEETING LOCATIONS THAT I HAVE VISITED.





Friday 26 February 2021

FEB 26, 21 .. THE PROMISES AT THE BEGINNING OF CHAPTER 5 OF THE BIG BOOK

I find it amazing that so many members are focused solely upon the promises associated with the 9th Step (see the bottom of page 83 and the top of page 84 of the Book Alcoholics Anonymous for the 9th Step Promises).

I have actually had people ask me : "What does it mean when it says in the bottom paragraph on page 83 that we will be amazed before we are halfway through."

It means this : We will be amazed before we are halfway through making our 9th step amends. The 9th Step Promises don't just happen sitting in your chair in meetings. They begin to happen as you proceed into actually making your 9th Step Amends.

THE PROMISES AT THE BEGINNING OF CHAPTER 5 OF THE BIG BOOK

Let's begin with the very first sentence of Chapter 5 on page 58.

"Rarely have we seen a person fail who throughly follows our path."

Bingo. This IS a PROMISE !

Now let's look at the top of page 59. 

Without help it is too much for us. But there is One who has all power -- that One is God.

Bingo. Another PROMISE !

Now let's go to Step 2. Came to believe that a Power greater than ourselves  could restore us to sanity.

Now let's go to the top of page 60 and the 12th Step.

'12. Having had a spiritual awakening as the result of these steps, we tried to carry this message to alcoholics and to practice these principles in all our affairs."

Another Bingo. We are 'promised' a spiritual awakening as a result of working the steps.

Now let's drop down to the very end of the reading of How It Works in meetings. 

"(c) That God could and would if He were sought."

Now we are going to go back to page 58 and look at the last line in the first paragraph to find, in my personal opinion, the greatest Promise in all of the Big Book.

"There are those, too, who suffer from grave emotional and mental disorders, but many of them do recover if they have the capacity to be honest."

The honesty is being honest with oneself, that our problem is within us and not caused by the outside world.

And these are only the Promises in the part of Chapter 5 we read at meetings. IF you continue through Chapter 5 you will find many more promises.



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