Thought for today:

In step nine, “Made direct amends to such persons we had harmed wherever possible, except when to do so would injure them or others,” we complete a process that we began in step four, a path out of darkness into light. A member summarizes what we are doing:

“In step four, we identified our problems and our defects.  With step five we admitted the exact nature of our wrongs to God, ourselves, and our sponsors.  In six we became ready to have God remove these defects, and in seven we asked God to remove them.  In eight we reviewed the list of people we had harmed with our sponsor, and became willing. Now, in step nine we take action to make those amends.  This process reconciles us with our fellow human beings!”

We need to be thorough and thoughtful. We’ve done a lot of good work to get to this point, with our sponsor to guide us in our new way. Now, with our sponsor or PRG group’s guidance we make that uncomfortable phone call to a difficult creditor or family member; we set up that face-to-face meeting if necessary; we bookend with our DA friends before and after making amends to be sure we are prepared and learn from the experience. Together we complete the “circuit of recovery”.  Thank God for DA!

Meditation for Today:

The process of steps four through nine is tough at first because we are changing old habits. Plus it’s like turning a cruise ship around in a harbor. Just as the ship needs a tugboat and a wide berth and time to adjust, so we need our friends, our program, and time to process big changes.  As we de-clutter our lives of our shortcomings, we can trust that we will “intuitively know how to handle situations which used to baffle us”.

Affirmation for Today:

I am willing to do whatever it takes to support my solvency in DA. I can face my fears, confident that DA has prepared me. Whatever the outcome, I can trust it is God’s Will.

Prayer for Today:

God, as I make amends, be my “Divine Interpreter”.  Let every person I talk with know that my intent is humility and honesty.

Further Reading:

The book Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions is the definitive guide to all the Steps and Traditions of Alcoholics Anonymous.  It brings an in-depth understanding of why and how the program of recovery evolved, and how it works to this day, over sixty years after it was first published.

DA adapted the short form of the Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions almost word for word (with AA’s permission) and to this day DA recommends we read AA literature, (including the “Twelve and Twelve“) as a way for us to understand the disease concept.

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