Third Step ... (in a nutshell0

[Carol87]

A drunk was walking home one night, desperate, despondent, at his darkest
? moment.? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?
? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?
? God appears before him holding something in His hand.? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?
? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?
? "What's that?" the drunk inquires, squinting to see straight.? ? ? ? ? ? ?
? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?
? "This?? is sobriety."? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?
? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?
? "Sobriety?!!!? Is it for me?"? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?
? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?
? "Perhaps" said God, "How much do you have?"? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?
? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?
? The drunk checked all of his pockets, crumpled wads of bills, change?? "I
? only have about 20 dollars."? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?
? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?
? God looked at him and looked at the sobriety in his hand and smiled and? ?
? said, "You're in luck, tonight sobriety costs 20 dollars."? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?
? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?
? "But wait!"? the drunk says, "If I give you this, I won't have any gas? ?
? for my car."? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?
? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?
? "You have a car?? Well then the price has just gone up to 20 dollars and?
? a car."? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?
? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?
? "But if you take my car, how will I get to work?"? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?
? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?
? "You have a job?? Well sobriety will cost you that too"? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?
? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?
? "But how am I supposed to support my family and pay for my house?"? ? ? ?
? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?
? "A FAMILY, a HOUSE?? Well, I'm sorry son, but I'll take those too."? ? ? ?
? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?
? And because the man was so desperate and at his lowest, he nodded his? ? ?
? head and said, "Done."? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?
? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?
? God gave him sobriety and said, "Now listen here, I'm going to give you? ?
? your car back but it's MY car, I'm just letting you use it.? And you may?
? have your? job back but remember it's MY job so you do MY work there.? ? ?
? That house is MY house, you just get to live in it.? And everyone knows? ?
? you don't deserve them,? including them, but I'll give you your family? ?
? back but don't you EVER forget that they're MY family, I'm just letting? ?
? you take care of them.? From this? moment forward, everything you do,? ? ?
? everything you say, everything you buy, everyone you meet, everything you
? even think about is MINE.? Take good care of it all for me."? ? ? ? ? ? ?
? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?
? And that's the third step in a nutshell.? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?
?
~~~ from my e-mail ~~~? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?
? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?
? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?
? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?

[Willard]

Negotiations with God. There's a novel idea. Since when does God negotiate?

Sobriety is a gift from God. A gift has no strings attached and God places no price on it. If He did, it wouldn't be a gift.

As far as the problems caused by our drinking: " But it is clear that we made our own misery. God didn't do it" Page 133

[WolfM]

Dear Willard,

In all seriousness. Lighten up. (And I do not mean illumination).

WolfM

[Willard]

With all due respect, do "lighten up" and "in all seriousness" belong together?

If I got the message right, you're being quite serious in telling me not to be serious. Is that rignt? C'mon Wolf, lighten up! :D

I've noticed the trend continues that my questions are not addressed, but my questioning is. I would ask why, but I suppose that would go unanswered too!? ????

Do these little emoticons make me sound less serious? :o

WolfM, do you think God negotiates? Does He require all that we have for His "gift"? Are these questions too hard?

One more little query: why didn't you question the obvious inaccuracies in this little metaphorical story? On another occaison, vegyman told me there were errors in the BB, later corrected in the 12x2. No one else asked him about that and he refuses to answer me. Now, I question this little story and I am asked to....lighten up. I must be hitting a nerve with someone, but they won't say what it is that disturbs them. I'm confused. Should I just read and agree, regardless of what's said.

What's the purpose of this discussion board if not to discuss?

[Willard]

And, just for the record, the third step involves a decision which the alcoholic makes. That's it: a decision. We don't turn our will and our life over to God, we just make the decision to do so. That's the third step in an even smaller nutshell. A pistachio say, instead of a walnut. (I'm trying to be a little less serious with the pistachio thing! - How'm I doin'?)

[BigE]

Reality has been shown to cause severe emotional distress in those who are not in touch with it. I suppose that's why these people get so worked up over your questions, Willard. I guess it's a lot easier to stay in an ivory tower of emotionalism and "spiritual make-believe" than to face the cold, harsh reality of the alcoholic condition and the things required to recover from that condition. But I guess I need to "lighten up", too, so I'll use a smiley face! :-D

[joyroadman]

I approached steps 2 and 3 like they was joined together as one.

I gave it a good try too,and I experienced results.
I tryed prayer and then results came.
My step 3 was action-surrender as they used to call it in the old days- on my part,and God provided the results..Then I proceeded to step 4 after several more weeks of experience.....thats my experience,no one can argue my experience








First of all, we had to
quit playing God. It didn't work. Next, we decided
that hereafter in this drama of life, God was going to
be our Director. He is the Principal; we are His
agents. He is the Father, and we are His children.
Most Good ideas are simple, and this concept was the
keystone of the new and triumphant arch through
which we passed to freedom.
(ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS, page 62)
When we sincerely took such a position, all sorts of
remarkable things followed. We had a new Employer.
Being all powerful, He provided what we needed, if
we kept close to Him and performed His work well.
Established on such a footing we became less and less
interested in ourselves, our own little plans and designs.
More and more we became interested in seeing what
we could contribute to life. As we felt new power
flow in, as we enjoyed peace of mind, as we discovered
we could face life successfully, as we became con-
scious of His presence, we began to lose our fear of
today, tomorrow or the hereafter. We were reborn.
(ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS, page 63)
We were now at Step Three. Many of us said to our
Maker, as we understood Him: "God, I offer myself to
Thee--to build with me and to do with me as Thou
wilt. Relieve me of the bondage of self, that I may
better do Thy will. Take away my difficulties, that
victory over them may bear witness to those I would
help of Thy Power, Thy Love, and Thy Way of life.
May I do Thy will always!" We thought well before
taking this step making sure we were ready; that we
could at last abandon ourselves utterly to Him.
(ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS, page 63)
But it is better to meet God
alone than with one who might misunderstand. The
wording was, of course, quite optional so long as we
expressed the idea, voicing it without reservation.
This was only a beginning, though if honestly and
humbly made, an effect, sometimes a very great one,
was felt at once.
(ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS, page 63)
Though our
decision was vital and crucial step, it could have little
permanent effect unless at once followed by a stren-
uous effort to face, and to be rid of, the things in our-
selves which had been blocking us. (ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS, page 64)

[Willard]

Regardless of anyone's experience, two and three are not component parts of a single step. As to several more weeks experience after this 2 and 3 combined step, I would refer you to page 64: "Though our decision was vital and crucial step, it could have little permanent effect unless at once followed..." the fourth step. Several weeks, by anyone's experience is not "at once".

[WolfM]

Dear Willard,
It is just a story. It may not be your story. It may not be my story. But it is JUST a story.
I was given the gift of sobriety. The only thing I had to do was surrender. I did that. God's grace gave me the gift of sobriety. I still had material things. But I was no longer human in my opinion. So did I give up ALL. What do you define as all? If we use the story as a guideline then no, I did not give all.
In answer to your question, I was not telling you not to be serious. I was telling you, in a nice way, that you should not be so critical of other people. Critical of the way they think. Critical of their beleifs when they do not agree with yours. You should not take every opportunity that you can to try and make people feel bad about themselves. I know that you are just telling the truth because that is what you believe that people need to hear. The truth as you see it. The truth as it is written in the Big Book, without question.
Okay. Does that answer your question?


With all due respect, do "lighten up" and "in all seriousness" belong together?

If I got the message right, you're being quite serious in telling me not to be serious. Is that rignt? C'mon Wolf, lighten up! :D

I've noticed the trend continues that my questions are not addressed, but my questioning is. I would ask why, but I suppose that would go unanswered too!? ????

Do these little emoticons make me sound less serious? :o

WolfM, do you think God negotiates? Does He require all that we have for His "gift"? Are these questions too hard?

One more little query: why didn't you question the obvious inaccuracies in this little metaphorical story? On another occaison, vegyman told me there were errors in the BB, later corrected in the 12x2. No one else asked him about that and he refuses to answer me. Now, I question this little story and I am asked to....lighten up. I must be hitting a nerve with someone, but they won't say what it is that disturbs them. I'm confused. Should I just read and agree, regardless of what's said.

What's the purpose of this discussion board if not to discuss?

[joyroadman]

sorry,willie,your answer is not acceptable,as it is just your opinion,which means nothing in this discussion..

Your opinion is a good example of your dis-honesty.Keep coming back,you might make it,but I doubt it. I certainly hope you do