Hope
When I came to the rooms of AA, I was bereft of hope and I didn’t even know it. I was numb and confused, and I wanted someone to save me. I had no idea what was in store for me or what my future held. I went to AA at the suggestion of a physician. I stayed because I sensed that the men and women in the rooms felt as I had always wanted to feel. They laughed easily and hugged often. They listened to one another intently. They seemed to truly care. In short, they had something I wanted so I stayed.
Since that time, I have discovered “what they had” was the awesome power of hope. Hope is the ability to push past our fears and open our minds to new possibilities. It’s the ability to see opportunity in even the most challenging life experience, knowing each challenge brings us to a new level of understanding of our life’s journey. Hope is inspiring. It gives us the motivation for living and learning. Hope gives to us even when we have little or nothing left. It is one of the most precious gifts we have in recovery.
The more I trust that my Higher Power will always do for me that which I can’t do for myself, the less anxious I feel. I know I have been prepared for whatever appears next on my journey. Nothing happens that hasn’t been divinely ordained. Our lives are never hopeless. We are in the right place, at the right time, walking with the people who are necessary to our journey. And our Higher Power is and always has been present, even when we feel we have been forgotten. Because of this program, I now trust that even in the darkest and coldest times, there is a warm and glowing ray of hope and faith all around us.
This week I would like to hear your thoughts about hope. Do you consider yourself hopeful? What do you see as the evidence of the presence of hope or its lack? How has hope enabled you to move forward in your life? You are also welcome to share on anything else you need to share on. Thank you for the opportunity to serve this week as the chair for the weekly meeting. My wish for each of you is that you may always have hope in your life. “Hope is the thing with feathers that perches in the soul and sings the tune without words and never stops, at all.”