God Is Not Our Spiritual Bellboy, Revisited ........2/25/13

        Good evening,
 The post that follows these comments I'm bumping up. Fifteen months ago I wrote it.  It's a subject I've discussed with clients lately.  It's related to Steps 1-3 and 11 in any twelve step recovery program.

          When faced with a problem, many of us do the best we can.  For the majority, life still becomes unmanageable----their characterological growth has halted, and they are
frustrated and worried, perhaps angry because their needs are not met.

          The recovery approach involves admitting our need for God. This perspective----which has helped millions----encourages surrendering our will and lives to the God of our understanding, known as Step Three. 

           One more thing.  Recovery isn't only for alcoholics, sex or drug addicts. We can apply the twelve step program for any challenging area in our lives----depression, self-loathing, procrastination, overcoming sexual abuse, bitterness----you name it.

           You can find more discussion about this understanding of recovery in the following books. There are many others that cover this subject, but these will give you a good start. Hope for Today, p. 164;  Adult Children of Alcoholics, Janice Woititz;  Codependency Misdiagnosed, Mistreated, Anne Wilson Schaef.

Here's the post.  Let me know what you think.

        Good evening everyone,

I love it when God teaches me a lesson.   On a project,  I've been working.  I'm developing and building it up.  I've being doing what I can to get momentum going, regarding it. 

        This undertaking is different from the work I normally do.  I have confidence in my efforts.  The naysayers have told me to give up.  Nope.  No can do.   I know that success requires faith and faith is going beyond what we see.

        If we work, needing all the outcomes to be figured out, where's the faith?   Faith is doing what takes faith, beyond what logic and practicality dictates. 

"While necessity may be the mother of invention, persistence is its father."  

       I'm not one to throw in the towel, to quit, even when circumstances don't go as expected.

       I approached others regarding this project, using  the phone;  I engaged contacts in face-to-face interactions.  My efforts appeared all for naught.  A lack of results is doesn't rattle me.   While necessity may be the mother of invention, persistence is its father.

      I am not what I do, or don't achieve.  I'm thankful for the freedom I find in doing my best and trusting God for the results.  I believe in the Power of Persistence that is undergirded by faith and strengthened by relationship with Him.

      However, I find it best doing what is born from prayer and meditation.  I seek God's will.  Pushing through, relying only upon our muscle power is disastrous.  I not interested in accomplishing anything, trusting in my strength alone.  I ask God to help me carry out His Plan.

Commit your ways to the Lord and your plans shall be established.   Proverbs 16:3

     God isn't my spiritual bell boy.

     You know whom I'm talking about----the fellows with funny uniforms, who work at hotels. They take your luggage to your room and wait for a tip.  No, I don't boss God around: "God, this is what I want to do ( you name it). Now, you bless it!"

     Instead, I ask for  His guidance. I trust in Him, letting Him establish my plans.

     Well, today it happened.  The results regarding this vexing endeavor came in.  They were lovely and unexpected. I smiled.  God's humor I enjoy.  I love seeing how things work out for the best when I do the next right thing and get out of the way. (Psalms 37:4)

     One of the persons who told me to quit regarding the trying project I was working on was with me tonight when the results appeared.  She didn't know what to say.  If we have little faith, we get little results. "According to your faith be it unto you," a spiritual master once said.  His name started with a J.

     When we view things from God's perspective, anything is possible.  Faith gives God room to move, to exercise His divine power.  It is good remembering that reality is not limited to what we perceive with reason.  Our perspective is limited. The Universe is greater than us.  The Almighty's powers are not reduced to what can be done through puny humans.  Thank God for that.

      It's terrific knowing, at the cellular level, that there's only one God and we am not Him.  God and us make an intimate team.  We do our best.  Our confusion and apprehension we place in God's hands, trusting Him for outcomes.

      We  know it's the best action we can take.  Worry avails little.  It may give us a pseudo sense of control. But it is still pseudo.  We may think we are in charge.

      We aren't.

      It helps when we realize we are powerless over all the nouns and pronouns in our life: people, places and things. (Paths to Recovery, p.13)

      Knowing this fact allows us to sleep better, worry less.  We are easier to relate with.  It permits us to have an Attitude of Gratitude.   We learn we no longer need to carry the weight of the world and our problems on our shoulders. His are not only bigger, but more capable.