Step 2

"Came to believe that a power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity."

Automatically, when I hear a phrase like that I think "Look out. Here comes the Jesus crap." Now, please don't get me wrong. I AM a religious person, but on my own terms. I am catholic, but I do not go to mass. I believe in God, who is perhaps the same God that I was taught to believe in only I feel that I know and understand him better now that I am removed from the teachings of the church and have allowed myself to think on my own. Now that I have that understanding, call it a relationship if you will, I do not want to let go of it. I do not want to hear the "Jesus freaks" preaching to me on how or why I am wrong and telling me what I need to do to be "saved". That is, or was, one of the primary reasons that I did not want to have to go to AA several times a week. I'm glad that what I have found was not the perception that I had.

It still happens from time to time that a new person will join the meeting and speak of the power of Christ and start to go on about religion as thought that were the answer. Well... It is and it isn't. If it works for that person, great go for it. If that is the belief that you need to make it through the day without drinking then knock yourself out. Please though, don't preach to me, and do not pass judgment on me because I don't ascribe to your way of thinking. I don't think that you are wrong in your thinking; I just think that what will work for me is slightly different.

I believe in a higher power. He, She or It is not the same as others might perceive but I believe.

I believe in good and evil. Everyone, even the best of us, has portions of their being that are good and that are evil. It is only though our intellectual and emotional strengths that we present ourselves as good or evil.

I believe that all prayers are answered just not in the way that most may sometimes like. There are really only three answers to prayers: Yes - which everyone expects; No - Which is what some would referred to as an unanswered prayer. It doesn't even have to be the thunderous, fire and brimstone NO (although it can), even "I'm sorry" still translates to no; and ... Wait, or not yet. Perhaps you will be relieved of whatever stressor has driven you to seek the comfort of some unknown being but the lesson that you need to learn - to make you a strong and or better person - isn't yet over.

I believe that our higher power, God if you please, is in us and all around us. It is comforting to believe that some power, an unseen omnipotent being, could ease our burden. Wouldn't it be even more comforting to believe in a power that while still greater than ourselves was in fact a part of us. That we had no further to go than the innermost reaches of our own being to find greater strength, wisdom, love and courage than we ever thought capable of? That through that inner power when shared with others we could be even greater, and all the while through our good or evil either add to or subtract from the power of all others? It is a scary thought but places much more responsibility in our own selves and will not allow us to defer to or blame others for our lives.