Step 2-Choosing to believe!

SCOTT@SharingTheBurden.ca

http://sharingtheburden.blogspot.com/
http://twitter.com/sharingburden

http://www.sharingtheburden.ca/

"Our dependencies brought us to a position of powerlessness!" Words from the commentator on Step 2 in the Serenity program remind me that at some point a choice has to be made to accept OR believe that something higher must be sought and this Power could possibly be contacted in the hope of relief!

At this point, seems often that people want a "feeling of belief" without which they choose to stay STUCK. I will always remember a trusted friend (professional) telling me that feelings did not determine belief but rather, a decision of belief was required no matter how I felt and that possibly (although not definitely) the wanted feelings would follow. I learned that my feelings were not caused by events or others. They were the results of how I processed information. Basically my programming which considers automatically, everything that has been part of my existence from my beginning (happenings, events and my entire life's history to the moment), goes into each process and that the resultant feelings are therefore my responsibility and not to be blamed on a person place thing or event. Feelings still hurt as much today but I am so much slower to blame and much quicker to ask for forgiveness or apologize when my emotions beat me to the punch (in other words when I react without thinking).

DECISIONS TO LOVE, BELIEVE AND FORGIVE REQUIRE EFFORT BUT NOT NECESSARILY A CERTAIN KIND OF FEELING!!

Step 2 unforced realization

So often the temptation to influence the sick/addicted/hurting/codependent person is overwhelming. We see what has worked in so many and want to "give it" to this person (save him/her from more pain). Again and again we see the results-an interrupted fall that serves one purpose, namely that for a moment in time we felt successful in our saving grace. Now the fall to the next level is probably a little deeper and more painful. So we learn that the reaching out must come solely from the hurting person and must be directed to a power greater than mankind. Our 12 steps are a Spiritual answer to recovery and Spiritual cannot be humanly directed. The prodigal son Luke 15:11-24( http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Luke+15%3A11-24&version=NIV ) clarifies this for me as the wayward son accepts responsibility for his lot in life and reaches out not only for survival but for forgiveness which he knows is undeserved (humility).

Let the bottom be defined ASAP by focusing on our ability to the build in ourselves the strong Spiritual coming along side that WILL be necessary when our loved one sees clearly his/her grave situation. Step two is that realization that this Power exists and may be able to help; I must try to connect!

Use two-way prayer (with a friend) to quickly arrive at direction! Pray and write and ask questions. If we can help, connect with us:

SCOTT@SharingTheBurden.cahttp://sharingtheburden.blogspot.com/
http://twitter.com/sharingburden
http://www.sharingtheburden.ca/

12 Steps to Spiritual Recovery!
1- We admitted we were powerless over others and our dependencies-that our lives had become unmanageable.
2- Came to believe that a Power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity.
3- Made a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of that Power.
4- Made a searching and fearless moral inventory of ourselves.
5- Admitted to this Power, to ourselves and to another human being the exact nature of our wrongs.
6- Were entirely ready to have this Power remove all these defects of character.
7- Humbly asked the Power to remove our shortcomings.
8- Made a list of all persons we had harmed and became willing to make amends to them all.
9- Made direct amends to such people wherever possible, except when to do so would injure them or others.
10- Continued to take personal inventory and when we were wrong promptly admitted it.
11- Sought through prayer and meditation to improve our conscious contact with this Power, praying only for knowledge of His/Her will for us and the power to carry that out.
12- Having had a spiritual awakening as the result of these steps, we tried to carry this message to others and to practice these principles in all our affairs.
(Many 12 step programs use the word God where we have written Power)






Various Claims of Promise from 12 Steppers

1-We will find ourselves worthy of love and able to love others. We will not lose ourselves.

2-Courage and fellowship will replace fear.

3-Our lives will yield hope to share with others.

4-We will come to know the vastness of our emotions without being in slavery to them.

5-Learning to forgive, we will no longer be bound by our secrets to live in shame.

6-Serenity and peace will have meaning for us.

7-We will allow our lives and the lives of those we love to flow day by day with spiritual ease, balance and grace.

8-Attitude and outlook will be renewed.

9-Intuition will guide us to handle situations that were impossible in the past.

10-We will not regret the past recognizing its value for other sufferers.

11-Selfish interests will fall away as we gain interest in others.

12-Faith and gratitude will replace fear as we realize that a Greater Power is doing for us what we could not do for ourselves.

STEP TWO-Turning right-ward

SCOTT@SharingTheBurden.ca
http://sharingtheburden.blogspot.com/
http://twitter.com/sharingburden
www.SharingTheBurden.ca

The progression of (co)dependency degenerates life.





We may wake up to realize one day that we are living like an animal in slavery to animal passions (powerful emotions that dehumanize us). Insanity may be the correct description of this state!





The story of the prodigal son (Luke 15: 11-24 http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Luke+15%3A11-24&version=NIV )demonstrates this when the wayward son sees from "his bottom" (looking after pigs and envious of their food) the real picture of who he is! He then consciously decides that he must turn toward morality no matter what the cost to him personally. And so, from that position of depravity he reaches for and tells God of his unworthiness to be His child.; and he asks God to hire him as a common worker. The Father is so happy to receive the renewed son who now "sees", that all the son's waywardness is not only forgiven but forgotten and erased totally, leaving room not only for full restoration but even greater life than had ever previously been possible!





So the son came to belief and FREEDOM from bondage came with it as he found himself, God and satisfaction regardless of his lot in this world (ie any job would do)!





"Lord help us to see the error of our ways, to turn toward You and humbly seek freedom from our problems-Amen!"

Step 2-Faith Heals

"We came to believe that a Power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity!" STEP 2

One writer says "We cannot afford to stand back, hoping for cures, and avoid deliberate action because of our lack of faith." and further on this commentator adds. "When we come to believe in God, a power greater than our self, and have the faith to take hold of our own recovery, we will find the healing power we have been looking for"

Another thought from the Life recovery Bible on Grandiose Thinking (related to step 2): "We are not God; we are accountable to God-a higher power. This higher power can remedy our madness and restore our life to even better than it was before our season of insanity. God will do so if we entrust our life to Him (turn over the reins-let go of control)."

"Oh Lord give us the energy and motivation to take action and to step out on faith from our darkest moment. Give us a glimpse of Your light that we might have the courage to seek and follow it to FREEDOM-Amen!"

Let's take Step 2 if we are ready: "Do I now believe, or am I even willing to believe, that there is a Power greater than myself?" For those of us who answered YES to this question-Congratulations you have completed step 2.

When we pray pencil and paper in hand, writing our every experience as they occur, it seems almost invariably, that we receive direction. Do it with a trusted praying companion, one praying (asking God for answers to a specific situation) and writing, the other receiving and telling of all thoughts and experiences as they happen. Miracles of understanding can come as we follow and ask God, each time, to make clear what each bit means-it is simply amazing! We at Sharing The Burden refer to this as TWO-WAY PRAYER. I sure hope and pray that you will try this method of connecting to God, it has worked for thousands upon thousands! We can help if you want direction in your efforts to pray this way as part of a twelve step program or any form of recovery!

SCOTT@SharingTheBurden.ca

http://sharingtheburden.blogspot.com/
http://twitter.com/sharingburden
www.SharingTheBurden.ca