MARCH 8

One of the wonderful benefits I receive by going to Al-Anon meetings is that I find new ways to work my program. The chairperson at one of my favorite meetings passed around a basket full of Al-Anon slogans and suggested that we each take one and try to apply it to this day. It was remarkable how many of us seemed to get the perfect slogan!

The next day I found myself in a stressful situation. I was struggling to solve a tough problem, growing frustrated and upset but no closer to a solution. I asked my Higher Power for help and suddenly remembered that basket. In my mind, I imagined myself reaching once more into a basket full of slogans. Again, I got exactly what I needed:

The slip of paper I pictured reminded me that "Easy Does It.'' I stopped trying to force a solution and waited until I could approach the problem more gently. I felt much better, my thinking was dearer, and in time, a solution appeared.

Today's Reminder

It is not always easy to know which Al-Anon tool to apply, especially in the middle of a crisis. I am grateful for a Higher Power who knows my needs, and for meetings that help me to find new ways to put these tools to work in my life.

As we learn to depend upon our Higher Power through applying the Ai-Anon program to our lives, fear and uncertainty are replaced by faith and confidence."

One Day at a Time in At-Anon

March 9

I often struggle to know what my will is and what is God's. I feel serenity slipping from me while a war is waged within my mind and loud Voices urge me to take one path or another.

Doubt is an unavoidable companion of spiritual seeking. I don't have an instruction book, so I must continue to explore and challenge my perceptions. I know that when I feel a desperate urge to act, it is usually my will that is pushing, and when I feel a calm certainty, it is usually God's. But much of the time, I don't have such a clear indication. What then? Sometimes I wait for clarity or try to listen more closely for guidance; I may share my confusion and ask for the wisdom of others; or I may just make a choice, take an action, and see what happens. More will be revealed when the time is right, no matter what choice I make. Since I have turned my will and hand life over to God, any choice I make can be used to carry out His will.

Today's Reminder

Today I will remember that uncertainty is not a fault but an opportunity. Everything I do and everything that crosses my path-people, situations, ideas all have the potential to contribute to my growth and understanding. Just for today, I don't have to know what that contribution will be.

"There lives more faith in honest doubt, Believe me, than in half the creeds."

Alfred, Lord Tennyson