If we still cling to something we will not let go, we ask God to help us be willing. - ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS, p. 76
When I had taken my Fifth Step, I became aware that all my defects of character stemmed from my need to feel secure and loved. To use my will alone to work on them would have been trying obsessively to solve the problem. In the Sixth Step I intensified the action I had taken in the first three Steps - meditating on the Step by saying it over and over, going to meetings, following my sponsor's suggestion, reading and searching within myself. During the first three years of sobriety I had a fear of entering an elevator alone. One day I decided I must walk through this fear. I asked for God's help, entered the elevator, and there in the corner was a lady crying. She said that since her husband had died she was deathly afraid of elevators. I forgot my fear and comforted her. This spiritual experience helped me to see how willingness was the key to working the rest of the Twelve Steps to recovery. God helps those who help themselves.
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As I was reading this Reflection, when it came to the part about fear of elevators, I wondered to myself what that could possibly have to do with spirituality and recovery. When the story unfolded I saw how any fears affect my sense of security and increase my separation from other people and experiences that could help me grow. I remember now that it was suggested by a woman in recover to make a fears list and share this with another person. I did that many years ago. Now I would like to review my fears again, and seek out even seemingly minor, or 'irrelevant' fears. What a great story! It shows me that plenty of recovery can be gained through even simple actions.
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