If you’ve humbled yourself enough to admit your powerlessness over alcohol and drugs, and you’ve come to believe that, “yes, there must be a Higher Power out there that can restore me,” Then you’re ready to make a decision. The old timers used to make a man or women who were at this point get on their knees (it’s an act of humbleness and surrender- it really helps. If you’ve never tried it, you should.) in a private bedroom, and pray the Third Step Prayer: “God, I offer myself to Thee- to build with me as Thou wilt. Relieve me of the bondage of self, that I may better do Thy will. Take away my difficulties, that victory over them may bear witness to those I would help of Thy Power, Thy Love, and Thy Way of Life. May I do Thy will always!”
Let the freedom ring! Who knew?! I used to try to so hard to control my life and do what I thought was best for me- which really was me just doing what I wanted to do… And boy was I miserable. It’s said in meetings all the time that “It’s a lot harder to stay drunk and high, that it is to stay sober.” Now, that was a lot of work and all for nothing(Mr. McGhee calls it our “death-style”). Today, I totally understand that I only have to make a decision (be willing) to abandon myself utterly to Him, who has all power, all knowledge, and is everywhere at once, and follow Good Orderly Direction.
“It is when we try to make our will confirm to God’s that we begin to use it rightly. To all of us, this was a most wonderful revelation. Our whole trouble had been the misuse of willpower. We had tried to bombard our problems with it instead of attempting to bring it into agreement with God’s intention for us. To make this increasingly possible is the purpose of AA’s Twelve Steps and Step Three opens the door.
Once we have come into agreement with these ideas, it is really easy to begin the practice of Step Three. In all times of emotional disturbance or indecision, we can pause, ask for quiet, and in the stillness simply say: “God Grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, courage to change the things I can, and wisdom to know the difference. Thy will, not mine, be done.” (Twelve &Twelve, Pg. 40-41)
Is my life a bed of roses today? No. Will it ever be? Probably not, but I know that peace and happiness are achievable for me today, no matter what happens, by simply surrendering my life to my creator and living it. I can rest easy knowing that God is in control of my life.
~Marshall K.
