Faith is not only thought of in a religious way. One of Webster’s definitions for faith is firm belief in something for which there is no proof. For instance “clinging to the faith that her missing son would one day return.” In my mind of minds, I know the truth that there has to be a Power “out there somewhere” that is greater than I. Otherwise, how would the trees know when to change color on their leaves? The planets orbit around their suns? Or a baby know when and how to be born? And on into infinity? We can not use any of our five senses to know this but we also just seem to feel and know that this is the truth.
Some call this Higher Power God. Others Allah. Some Buddha. Some Jesus. Some truth. And some don’t have a name for It because they believe that this Higher Power does not exist. Then there is the The world begins and ends with ME, type. There are also the ones who simply have not thought about it so they say It doesn’t exist. This is truth for them.
Our perception is our truth. This is how powerful our thoughts are. “If I see it, I believe it. If I don’t see it, it doesn’t even exist.” I believe that the first step toward obtaining any kind of faith in a Higher Power is to realize and finally know and feel the truth that there is a Power “out there” that is greater than I. It does not really matter what I choose to call it. Just as long as I know that It exists. Just think of that ugly, brown caterpillar crawling on the ground. Without any of my assistance, it turns into a beautiful butterfly. Or a tadpole turns into a frog. Or the way beyond count number of stars that twinkle in the night sky are seemingly in the same positions all the time.
What did I have to do with any of this? In all honesty, absolutely nothing! But these and bejillions of other circumstances occur at any given time. And I had absolutely nothing to do with any of it. Even an avowed atheist must believe that there is ‘Something’ there. Just does not know what to call It. Some people call me Jim, some James, some Mr. Boylan, some called me Boss, Sergeant, Chief, and some ‘Hey You,’ and some call me some miserable names. What do they all have in common? They all refer to me in their own minds’ eyes.
This all comes down to Faith in a Higher Power. I now choose to call this Higher Power God. At first, I called It my home group of fellow human beings in recovery. I have faith that the sun will rise in the morning. That the seasons will change on a regular basis. That my dog will love me no matter what. And that these and other true events will occur because my Higher Power, who I choose to call God, will see to it. I believe and therefore have faith in the truth that my Higher Power, by whatever name I choose to call Him or Her or whatever It’s name is, wants nothing but peace and good for me. For that I am grateful. And this is the TRUTH!
Because of the seeming miracles that I witness every day, my faith in my God just continues to get stronger. Why? Because I am a Spiritual Being living in a Spiritual Universe that is governed by Spiritual law. As a Divine being, I am an individualized expression of God and one with all that exists. The universe is vibrational and I am getting much more attuned to the vibes. And, truth to tell, it really does feel good. It makes me happy, joyous, and free! Happy that I have finally accepted that this is true. Joyous of the personal rewards that this has given and continues to give me. And free from my addictions.
We live in a vibrational universe. Visualize these vibes as ripples in a pond if you drop a pebble into it. They spread out equally in all directions with the same message coming across other items, like a log, shoreline, weed, boat. All equally with the same intensity. Our vibes flow out in all directions equally with the same message as was entered in the first place. Emit joyful vibes and joyful vibes are felt by all struck by them. Enter power and powerful vibes are felt by all struck by them. Enter misery and miserable vibes are felt by all struck by them.
If we have paid any attention to our feelings, we have all been struck by the vibes of another being, be it another human or an animal. How can one not know that their pet loves them without the pet actually talking ones own language? We can just ‘feel it’ and so have faith that it is the truth.
If you want to have good days, I wish for you to try putting out only good vibes for a week. Then get back with me and let me know what happened. Upon awakening, say the shortened version of the 3rd Step, “God help me.” Then say “This is going to be a great day!” Then start your great day by believing that you can make it a great day. On great days, we are happy so show it by smiling a lot more. Send out a smiling, great vibe to all. Do this to everyone. This includes to the sick, injured, sad, strangers, friends – everyone! This vibe will ripple out from you washing over all and you will be amazed at the results. Not all will believe it but a vast majority will. Why? Because it is the truth!
The added bonus to you will be the feelings that you get in return because you placed something positive into the life of another. This may be the only positive thing that happened to them that day, week, or a very long time.
When you say “God help me,” God places people into your life that need what you have to give. In a dark area of life, don’t just look for a light. Be the light! When you do, I can’t wait to hear from you the rewards that you received. This is what faith is all about. If you Conceive the idea that you are going to help someone today, amazingly, you will meet someone who is looking for what you have to offer. When you do, you will start to Believe that it is working. Then just give them what you have, even if it is only a smile or kind, comforting word. When you do, you will Achieve the good that you intended. Just, please don’t forget to get back with me and let me know how it is working! God bless you!
We can be reached at Spiritualityandrecovery@gmail.com or 810-965-6140 usually within hours.
More can be found on our other pages. We have an AA Zoom meeting, blogs, and a podcast, in addition to our Facebook page. They are updated regularly. We hope that you will join us on these sites and comment so that we can share with each other our experiences, strengths, and hopes. The Zoom meeting is every Monday through Friday, 3:00 PM EST. Meeting ID is 6035280704, Password 399778. To locate the blog posts and Facebook pages, simply search @Spiritualityandrecovery. For the podcast, search Spotify.com for Spiritualityandrecovery. On iPhone say “Hey Siri, Play the podcast Spiritualityandrecovery”