God in each other
“One aspect of our spiritual awakening comes through the new understanding of our
Higher Power that we develop by sharing another addict’s recovery.
Basic Text, p.51
We’ve heard it said that we often see God most clearly in one another. We see the
truth of this when we practice our Twelfth Step. When we carry the recovery
message to another addict, we sense the presence of a Power greater than
ourselves. And as we watch the message take hold, we realize something else.
It’s the message that brings recovery, not the messenger. A Higher Power, not our
own power, is the source of the change that begins when we carry the message to a
still-suffering addict. As the message does its work, transforming the life of another
addict, we see a Higher Power in action. We watch as acceptance and hope replace
denial and despair. Before our very eyes, the first traces of honesty, openmindedness, and willingness begin to appear.
Something’s happening inside this
person, something bigger and more powerful than either of us. We’re watching the
God we’ve come to understand at work in someone’s life. We see the Higher Power
in them. And we know with greater certainty than ever that this Higher Power is in
us, too, as the force driving our recovery.
Just for today: As I carry the message of recovery to other addicts, I will try to pay
attention to the Power behind the message. Today, as I watch other addicts recover,
I will try to recognize the God in them so I can better recognize the God in myself.