There Are Many Things to "Accept" In Order to Grow

"I saw that growth could start from that point. Upon a
foundation of complete willingness I might
build what I saw in my friend." (12:2)

Page: 47

Step we are on: Step Two

Chapter: "We Agnostics"

Subject: Belief, Willingness, Acceptance, Growth, Cornerstone

Merry Christmas everyone.
What is "Acceptance" in this book?  The co-authors have just predicted that after taking step two they began to  "accept many things which then seemed entirely out of reach." 

How many times does a newcomer say he can't take the steps because he has "a problem with the 'God thing?"?  He is worried about Step Three before he's even taken One. If you are out in the field working with alcoholics, taking them through these steps,  then you have been told exactly this. You may have been one to have thought this way yourself at one time.

  Let see . . . 

• What did they call that?

That was growth, but if we wished to grow we had to begin somewhere

These "many things" they are referring to are many "spiritual' things. The principles in this book are very specific principles and they can clash what Principles some of us come into this deal with. The spiritually dead alcoholic often already thinks he knows about the spiritual realm. The co-authors speak here of the ACCEPTANCE of many spiritual things. 

Now that's the kind of acceptance the co-authors talk about in this book! 

NOTE: This is not exactly the same context of "acceptance" as we find in Dr. O's page 417 thoughts when he wrote his story for the back of this book, is it? 

• Whose concept of God do we use?

So we used our own conception, however limited it was.

Even that is good enough for now. 

• What question do we need to ask ourselves? (Two sentences)

We needed to ask ourselves but one short question. "Do I now believe, or am I even willing to believe, that there is a Power greater than myself?"

Comment:  A very wise man once said, “I believe I would rather try to live my life thinking there is a God and find out I am wrong than try to live my life thinking there is no God and find out I am wrong.”

• As soon as we can say “yes” to that question, where are we?

As soon as a man can say that he does believe, or is willing to believe, we emphatically assure him that he is on his way.

 "Thus was our friend's cornerstone fixed in place. No
later vicissitude has shaken it. His alcoholic
problem was taken away. " (56:3)

Remember Bill W again. In Brooklyn.  During his Step Two experience in a single afternoon, with Ebby T. He said, “It was only a matter of being willing to believe in a Power greater than myself. Nothing more was required of me to make my beginning.”

• What has been proven?

It has been repeatedly proven among us that upon this simple cornerstone a wonderfully effective spiritual structure can be built.

Cornerstone – 1. a stone at the corner of two walls of a building, especially a stone ceremoniously set in place on some corner of the foundation as the nominal starting point of the erection of the building 2. a thing of basic importance. ~ The Winston Simplified Dictionary – 1938

Nominal starting point. Nominal means existing in name only; not real. Maybe this is the true origin of  “Act as if” (Which somehow got twisted into “Fake it till you make it” -  really, "If you're lying, you're dyin")

Comment:  Note the”*” and Bill’s plea for us to read “Appendix II.”       He told us to do it on page 25 and again on page 27, but he knew we were not good about following instructions, so now he says “please.”  It’s hard to say “no” to a begging alcoholic.  But we have been there and done it, so we’ll move on.     

• Why was this great news for us?

That was great news to us, for we had assumed we could not make use of spiritual principles unless we accepted many things on faith which seemed difficult to believe.

There's that idea for the second time one page:  "ACCEPT" many things! Spiritual things we would not have been able to accept before. 

'Willingness' is a good enough a starting point. But willingness won't last forever. The enduring part,  the faith/belief part,  is coming soon)

Willing 1. favorably disposed, cheerfully ready. ~ Winston Simplified Dictionary – 1938

Peace and  Love,

Danny S – RLRA

Real Live Recovered Alcoholic

http://recoveredalcoholic.blogspot.com