Episode 196 -- February 28, 2022

Meditation Monday: Help from Your Higher Power

Welcome to Meditation Monday. We're pausing each Monday for a few minutes of reflection and inspiration from the authors of the Hazelden Meditation series of books.

Meditations are daily reflections, prayers, slogans and phrases intended to offer inspiration and comfort, and—above all—hope to those of us in recovery.

The selections for this last Meditation Monday of February come from some of Hazelden's bestselling recovery resources: Easy Does It, In God's Care, and A Woman's Spirit. Together, these three meditations can help us focus on connecting with our Higher Power and keeping faith in the promises of recovery.

Easy Does It

The Twelfth Promise

[The promises] will always materialize if we work for them.—Big Book of Alcoholics Anonymous

Emotional growth and the fulfillment of the promises are not gifts we receive without any effort on our part. We must earn the results by serious, dedicated work. The Steps are the tools we use to do that work. We can think of progress as a partnership between us and our Higher Power. Directions are given and the promises are made good to us when we follow those directions. We must first develop complete open-mindedness before we can even start to work the necessary parts of our program. We must develop an attitude of rigorous honesty. Finally, we must rid ourselves of denial, deceit, taking shortcuts, holding on to old ideas, and being satisfied with half-measures. All this must be done before we ever taste the success of the promises made to us.

My meditations bring me to the realization that I must always follow instructions in order to succeed in spiritual matters. God gives directions clearly. Unless I do the footwork, nothing will happen.

In God's Care

Doing what is right isn't the problem; it's knowing what is right.
-Lyndon B. Johnson

Fortunately for all of us sharing a Twelve Step program, we do not have to be worried about always having the right response—to friend or adversary. We still can, and do, act impulsively and forget to rely on our Higher Power's guidance. But every time we take just a moment and quiet the noise in our mind, we'll hear wisdom that will direct us in how to proceed. We are fortunate people. The Twelve Steps, the wisdom freely offered to us through meetings, and our regular contact with God have made our life more meaningful and spirit-filled than we had ever imagined possible. In every situation we can be certain that we are fulfilling God's will even if our mind is filled with indecision and doubt. How? If our actions encourage compassion and forgiveness, God is guiding us.

Today I will take away any guesswork and act according to God's will.

A Woman's Spirit

The journey to a new way of life—physically, mentally, and spiritually—includes the joy of rediscovering a faith that had been lost.
—Louise A. Rice

What does it mean to have faith? How does having faith make our lives different? Having faith doesn't make us into totally new people. Our pattern of speech may not reveal our newfound faith, and our daily routine may remain much the same. But there are subtle differences. We tense up less often. We seldom experience excessive fear over how something will turn out. We enjoy more energy. We are more at ease with the people in our lives. We come to believe that all things are working out for the best, and we trust that we will be given the information we need to make decisions or new choices when the time is right. Faith gives us serenity and frees up many hours that were previously consumed by tension. We can fill these hours creatively when we trust the outcome. Surely this is the program's best gift.

I will let my faith work in my life today. Nothing has to upset me

Hazelden meditation books offer a brief reading for every day of the year. Today's selection from Easy Does It is from February 27. The meditation from In God's Care is from February 26, and selection from A Woman's Spirit is from February 29.

About the Author:
Easy Does It was written anonymously
In God's Care was written by Karen Casey
A Woman's Spirit was written by Karen Casey

Easy Does It © 1990 by Anonymous
In God's Care © 1991 by Hazelden Foundation
A Woman's Spirit © 1994 by Hazelden Foundation
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