Good Morning!

We are at the bottom of page 80. The next several paragraphs,
through the end of paragraph 1 on page 82, deal with the problems
associated with sex outside of marriage. This is an especially
difficult area for alcoholics. If we have been unfaithful we have to
face up to it, if we continue to be dishonest with ourselves and
those about us, we are setting ourselves up for failure.

The last paragraph on this page, and the first on the following
page, underscore the fact that we have to do more than stay sober in
order to make effective amends:

"We feel a man is unthinking when he says that sobriety is enough.
He is like the farmer who came up out of his cyclone cellar to find
his home ruined. To his wife, he remarked, "Don't see anything the
matter here, Ma. Ain't it grand the wind stopped blowin'?

"Yes, there is a long period of reconstruction ahead. We must take
the lead. A remorseful mumbling that we are sorry won't fill the
bill at all."

Reading through to the last paragraph on page 83, we see that we are
going to have to take definitive action when taking Step 9,
particularly with our families.

Now the promises that everyone likes to talk about:

"If we are painstaking about this phase of our development, we will
be amazed before we are half way through. We are going to know a new
freedom and a new happiness. We will not regret the past nor wish to
shut the door on it. We will comprehend the word serenity and we
will know peace. No matter how far down the scale we have gone, we
will see how our experience can benefit others. That feeling of
uselessness and self-pity will disappear. We will lose interest in
selfish things and gain interest in our fellows. Self-seeking will
slip away. Our whole attitude and outlook upon life will change.
Fear of people and of economic insecurity will leave us. We will
intuitively know how to handle situations which used to baffle us.
We will suddenly realize that God is doing for us what we could not
do for ourselves.

"Are these extravagant promises? We think not. They are being
fulfilled among us, sometimes quickly, sometimes slowly. They will
always materialize if we work for them."

It is important to note where these particular promises are in the
book - at the end of Step 9.

At this time we have completed our initial "house cleaning." Once
complete, we shall receive God's grace. The promises begin to come
true for us. "If we are painstaking about this phase of our
development, we will be amazed before we are half way
through." "This phase" is the Steps 4-9 phase. "The Promises" are
wonderful and they give us alot of hope, with one caveat: page 84
paragraph 1 - "They will always materialize if we work for them."
We don't get them by osmosis. They just don't fall into our lap, we
have to work for them.

The whole process of Steps 8 and 9 is geared to prepare us to be of
service to God and our fellows. When we complete this phase of our
development we can look the whole world in the eye. This is when we
can truly live one day at a time.

With our next post we'll start at paragraph 2 on page 84 and our
discussion of Step 10 in the book. Stay tuned, we have more promises
to come.

Have a wonderful day,

Jim

Weekend Big Book Studies with Jim & Dave - visit:
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