God Talk

"We only fail when we trust too much on our own strength.  Do not feel bad about your weakness.  When you are weak, that is when God is strong to help you.  Trust God enough, and your weakness will not matter.  God is always strong to save."

In thinking of God, doubts and fears leave us.  Instead of those doubts and fears, there will flow into our hearts such faith and love as is beyond the power of material things to give, and such peace as the world can neither give or take away.  And with God, we can have the tolerance to live and let live."

I realize this is all fodder for those who think A.A. is too religious.  Too much God-Talk.  I get it.  But for those of us who have come to rely on a Higher Power there is much comfort to be found in the idea that our weakness can draw the greatest strength out of that Power, that an awareness of his presence can banish all of the negative thoughts and fears that stalk our serenity. 

"There is such a thing as being too loyal to any one group.  Do I feel put out when another group starts and some members of my group leave it and branch out into new territory?  Or do I send them out with my blessing?  Do I visit that new offshoot group and help it along?  Or do I sulk in my own tent?  A.A. grows by the starting of new groups all the time.  I must realize that it's a good thing for a large group to split up into smaller ones, even if it means that the large group - my own group - becomes smaller."

And I realize that this reminder will serve as fodder for anyone who thinks I've bitched too much about the trials and tribulations of the Keep It Complicated group sundering.  It's always good for me to remember that the more different groups we have the better chance we have of connecting with new people.  We don't want to have one big group.  We want to have thousands of them, spread all over, meeting at different times and places.