~SPIRITUAL NOT RELIGIOUS~ A DAY AT A TIME

08/03 REFLECTION FOR THE DAY
The Twelve Steps were designed specifically for people like us -- as a short cut to God.  The Steps are very much like strong medicine which can heal us of the sickness of despair, frustration and self-pity.  Yet we're sometimes unwilling to use The Steps.  Why?  Perhaps because we have a deep-down desire for martyrdom.  Consciously and intellectually, we think we want help; on a gut level, though, some hidden sense of guilt makes us crave punishment more than relief from our ills.  CAN I TRY TO BE CHEERFUL WHEN EVERYTHING SEEMS TO BE LEADING ME TO DESPAIR?  DO I REALIZE THAT DESPAIR IS VERY OFTEN A MASK FOR SELF-PITY?

TODAY I PRAY
May I pull out the secret guilt inside that makes me want to punish myself.  May I probe my despair and discover whether it is really an imposter -- self-pity with a mask on.  Now that I know that the Twelve Steps can bring relief, may I please use them instead of wallowing in my discomforts.

TODAY I WILL REMEMBER
The Twelve Steps are God's stairway.