Monday, March 10, 2014
Today, if there is a need for me to do an Eighth Step - " ...became willing to make amends ..." - I need to understand that simply becoming willing to be free of my character defects means nothing if I do not understand WHY I must make those amends. To become willing, I must first accept that I have damaged not only myself but others whose anger at me, pain I inflicted on them and possibly permanent damage may still be too fresh for acceptance of my apologies. It is in Step Nine in which we hear the need for more than becoming willing: we make our amends "except when to do so would injure" those to whom we apologize and others who may be collateral damage of our trail of destruction. A failure to see or to understand and feel the need to release the defects that contributed to my misconduct may mean I might still harbor those defects, however deeply, and that they may resurface to derail my recovery. Today, if I have an amend to make, God grant that I feel with honesty, sincerity, humility and a healing hand why I must do so. And our common journey continues. Step by step. - Chris M., 2014
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