Oct. 15, 2012 - Today's Gift from Hazelden


Monday, Oct. 15, 2012
Today's thought from Hazelden is:

God's Will

How do we know what God's will is, especially when we're running around with a severe case of self-will run riot? How can we make sure the choices we're making are God's will when our options seem confusing and we're not sure what to do? What about when we do something we think is God's will and it doesn't work out? Do we blame ourselves? Or do we count our mistakes as lessons we needed to learn along the way?

Sometimes when I recover from a particularly exhausting bout of self-will, I think that my mistakes were just a waste of my time. But then something happens, and I see that my worst mistakes are recyclable. What I learn from mistakes translates into something else that works out for the good.

We do have choices, and they have consequences. Most philosophers agree that free will is the greatest gift given to human beings. And we're responsible for what we choose or don't choose. But most of us, who have some practice with God's will, agree that there's a little extra something taking place.

Getting a publishing contract to write my book Codependent No More was a passion and a dream I'd had for years. But when I went down into my basement to write it, I hit the wall. I didn't know what to say.

It finally turned into one of those surrender deals. What am I thinking of? I said to myself. If it's God's will, the book will get done. And if its not part of God's plan for my life, then it doesn't matter whether it gets done or not. There's something else I'm meant to do. I could see how futile and ridiculous it was to worry about whether anything would - or wouldn't work out.

No matter what happened or didn't, God's will was more than enough.

With all my ups and downs, I still believe with all my heart that God's will is the best thing around.

There's a peace, a harmony, a rhythm to God's will. It's a solid undercurrent, a path that takes us through, over, or around whatever we face, including the Unknown. We don't always know when we've gotten out of or away from it, but we can sure feel it when we get back on track.

From the book:

52 Weeks of Conscious Contact © 2003 by Melody Beattie. All rights reserved.

No comments:

Post a Comment

March 29, 2024 - Readings in Recovery: Step by Step

  Step by Step Friday, March 29, 2024 Today ,  if I start any day with dread, I probably need to do a  10th Step  or re-do my  Fourth.  Clea...