The Daily Reprieve

I find myself often singing that old Mr. Rogers song, "It's a beautiful day in the neighborhood, won't you be my neighbor". It's a good way to deal with life on life's terms because it emphasizes two important things: our attitude regardless of circumstances is so important, and serving and loving our fellow man is critical to that attitude.

Left alone and isolated life can get overbearing. Given fellowship with friends, family and others can be challenging but yet so fulfilling. We were meant to be together, not set apart. If we are to live a life of purpose we have to "love God, and love our neighbors as ourselves". That requires a whole lot of conversation more than a blog can handle, but it requires answering important questions for those of us dealing with addiction that we can talk about here.

First, can we stay sober, next can we keep in emotional balance, and finally, can we live to good purpose under all conditions? In the Big Book of A.A. it quotes "What we really have is a daily reprieve contingent on the maintenance of our spiritual condition".  If we are connected to the source, we develop a God-consciousness or if you prefer, being led by the Spirit that helps to answer every one of those questions. It keeps us in balance.

It's one thing to know all the scriptures or quote all the pages of the Big Book or the 12 and 12, but do we put into action what Mr. Rogers was talking about? Is our attitude a reflection of our pain or the willingness to let God remove it so that we can look at life as beautiful? Or, is our attitude one that invites others in or locks them out?

​The daily reprieve requires that we have a spiritual program of action whatever that program may entail for each one of us. If it's working we begin to sense the flow of God's Spirit within us instead of the desire to use the spirits of alcohol and drugs. One is beautiful, the others quite ugly.

There is a lifetime reprieve - his name is Jesus! Won't you be his neighbor?