From Leslie

[Lea]

It amazes me how many people still think of a God that punishes us; one that says "If you don't do what I say then you will be punished."
Well that led to some confusion for me, if God loves and is about unconditional love, but then you tell me that he loves me no matter what, but He will turn around and punish me for my "sins" then what's the use? I'm doomed. . . Thank God the BB says "I must smash all old ideas." That up there is annihilated. Phew!
What this program has done is given me a life and a personal relationship with God. I don't have to practice any particular religion, but I must practice the basic tenets of spirituality if I want peace, and I don't have to try to be perfect. I can have a relationship with Him now that no man can interfere with.
I found the God of my understanding, then I chose to dig a lil deeper to find out more info on this God I chose. I found that I was blessed with the opportunity to choose to mess up my life with drugs and alcohol; then He introduced me to the program of AA and people like me who were willing to come out of the ditches. He placed in front of me what was always there, but He loved me enough to sit patiently, waiting for me to come back to that which I left long ago. He just stood there with open arms. . . saying "welcome home" and "can you hear me now?" Love, Leslie
Thank you for sharing!

[Lea]

It amazes me how many people still think of a God that punishes us; one that says "If you don't do what I say then you will be punished."
Well that led to some confusion for me, if God loves and is about unconditional love, but then you tell me that he loves me no matter what, but He will turn around and punish me for my "sins" then what's the use? I'm doomed. . . Thank God the BB says "I must smash all old ideas." That up there is annihilated. Phew!
What this program has done is given me a life and a personal relationship with God. I don't have to practice any particular religion, but I must practice the basic tenets of spirituality if I want peace, and I don't have to try to be perfect. I can have a relationship with Him now that no man can interfere with.
I found the God of my understanding, then I chose to dig a lil deeper to find out more info on this God I chose. I found that I was blessed with the opportunity to choose to mess up my life with drugs and alcohol; then He introduced me to the program of AA and people like me who were willing to come out of the ditches. He placed in front of me what was always there, but He loved me enough to sit patiently, waiting for me to come back to that which I left long ago. He just stood there with open arms. . . saying "welcome home" and "can you hear me now?" Love, Leslie
Thank you for sharing!

Threefold Opportunity

The God I thought had judged and damned me had done nothing of the sort.
He had been listening, and in His own good time His answer came.
His answer was threefold: the opportunity for a life of sobriety;
Twelve Steps to practice, in order to attain and maintain that life of sobriety;
fellowship within the program, ever ready to sustain and help me
each twenty-four hour day. . .
In the use of this opportunity, the bonus is on me.

Reprinted from Came to Believe, Page 11, with permission of A.A. World Services, Inc.