The material presented
here is not Al-Anon Conference Approved Literature. It is a method
to exchange
information, ideas, feelings, problems and solutions on a personal
level.
The August 8 reading in Courage to Change, pg. 221 talks about how letting go of character defects illicites change in our life and how that is sometimes scary. The fear, I think, is if the God of our understanding removes these defects, what will be left? A hole? A void? I think not. I think God fills it with wonderful new ways of handling things that our al-anon program teaches us.
For example, what if the God of my understanding removes my character defect of procrastination? Will there be a huge void left there, or will He fill it with the ability to work on things on time? If I have done steps 1, 2, & 3 then I must believe that my HP has the Power to initiate this change in me and as scary as that sounds to me (because I have depended on it to avoid change) then He is faithful and just to produce that change in me.
I need not fear change. Although right now it seems that change is all around me. I am changing my marital statisis (I am going through a divorce). I see change in my mother that I have no control over (she has alzheimers). In the past year I have had to change my place of residence (lost my farm of 5 generations). I see changes in my daughter that I know the God of my understanding will help me with to guide her (she is a tween).
Step six reassures us that we need not change now... just be ready and willing to accept change. I can take all the time I need to become willing. There is no time-table set on moving on to step 7. The C2C reading suggests that change will not be effective unless I am ready for it. I believe this to be true. That's why it's so important not to skip over this step.
I am a work in progress. As I work through steps 4 and 5 I will become aware of my character defects and can work on becoming willing to change them in step 6. I like best what Orin L. Crain states as printed on this page in C2C, "Remind me each day that the race is not always to the swift; that there is more to life than increasing its speed. Let me look upward into the towering oak and know that it grew great and strong because it grew slowly and well."
Overcome
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I can Overcome all things through my HP who strengthens me.
Hi, your post shows so much focus on your programme. I get so scared sometimes of all the changes that are happening within me and around me. However I do trust my HP and I know they are for the best. I am just getting ready to do my step 4 been contemplating it for a while. I am very aware of a lot of my defects already they slowly keep showing them selves to me now that I have more focus on me. I try not to get to overwhelmed by all that I need to change as you say I just need to be willing. Maybe I just need to relax and tell HP I am willing and start work on my step four
