The season of Lent calls for an emphasis on strengthening and a renewal of the spirit-filled life and the call to seek the Will of God in all we do.   

I was talking recently with a person who found the Program about the time I did and daily attended the same meeting, “St. X Noon.” We both remembered the faces which meant so much to both of us – Rob, Mike, Dick, David, and so forth – without their words, and depth of their feelings, we both acknowledged we may not have “made it.”

Some time ago, a friend jokingly poked me, “Do you still go to ‘those meetings?’ to which I, who suffered the pain of a couple long-ago relapses, said, “If I don’t renew my AA Experiences each day, I weaken my Program and may find myself asking, ‘Gee, it’s been a long time, one won’t hurt. I don’t want to forget how close we all are to slipping back onto that merry-go-round called “addiction.’

This is a harsh reality we all face. We must continue to search for an experience with the Program each day – go to a meeting or two, a re-reading of a chapter in the Big Book, calling your sponsor and reaching out to someone looking for a sponsor, an active regular time for meditation, a time of quiet contemplation, or writing a hopefully enlightening meditation for a Program newsletter.

This is the Christian time of Lent.  We strive to find a bit more quietness – a time for meditation. Perhaps we attend services or special study gatherings at our church or parish.

So, here’s to a happy Sobriety Date, remembering that each day we must quietly recognize our path to recovery and renew our commitment to the Program’s path.

Jim A/Covington, Kentucky