THE ONLY REQUIREMENT
"At one time . . . every A.A. group had many membership rules. Everybody was scared witless that something or somebody would capsize the boat. . . . The total list was a mile long. If all those rules had been in effect everywhere, nobody could have possibly joined A.A. at all, . . ."
TWELVE STEPS AND TWELVE TRADITIONS, pp. 139-140
I'm grateful that the Third Tradition only requires of me a desire to stop drinking. I had been breaking promises for years. In the Fellowship I didn't have to make promises, I didn't have to concentrate. It only required my attending one meeting, in a foggy condition, to know I was home. I didn't have to pledge undying love. Here, strangers hugged me. "it gets better," they said, and "One day at a time, you can do it." They were no longer strangers, but caring friends. I ask Creator to help me to reach out to people desiring sobriety, and to, please, keep me grateful!
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I love this reading. The remark "I didn't have to concentrate" rings home to me. My ability to concentrate is often impaired - by trouble either concentrating at all or hyper-focusing (and not always on the right thing!). Concentrating too much would have been a hindrance in my early sobriety! Somehow I was guided not to concentrate too much, but instead to just do the suggested actions. The actions directed by this program were the key that unlocked the Promises of A.A. Many of us have also had a concept of God imposed on us that instilled fear and shame. I thank Creator for the wide door that A.A. opened to allows me into the space where I am free from alcohol!
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