I am here by the will
of the Great Spirit.
Cochise Apache
Under
the lash of alcoholism, we are driven to A.A., and there we discover the fatal
nature of our situation. Then, and only then, do we become as open-minded to
conviction and as willing as the dying can. We stand ready to do anything which
will lift the merciless obsession from us.
Twelve
Steps & Twelve Traditions pg. 24
When
we encountered A.A., the fallacy of our defiance was revealed. At no time had
we asked what God's will was for us; instead we had been telling Him what it
ought to be. No man, we saw, could believe in God and defy Him, too. Belief
meant reliance, not defiance. In A.A. we saw the fruits of this belief: men and
women spared from alcohol's final catastrophe. We saw them meet and transcend
their other pains and trials. We saw them calmly accept impossible situations,
seeking neither to run nor recriminate. This was not only faith; it was faith
that worked under all conditions. We soon concluded that whatever price in
humility we must pay, we would pay.
Twelve
Steps & Twelve Traditions pg. 31
Great
Spirit may I remember I am here by your will.