Bill Remembers
September 13, 2007 by Mark
Filed under Diseases & Conditions
From his memorial article in The Language of the Heart: Bill W’s Grapevine Writings
“As I continue to recollect, the vision of Ebby looking at me across our kitchen table became wonderfully vivid. As most AAs know, he spoke to me of the release from hopelessness that had come to him (through the Oxford Groups) as the result of self-survey, restitution, outgoing helpfulness to others, and prayer. In short, he was proposing the attitudes and principles that I used later in developing AA’s Twelve Steps to recovery.
It had happened. One alcoholic had effectively carried the message to another. Ebby had been enabled to bring me the gift of grace because he could reach me at depth through the language of the heart. He had pushed ajar that great gate through which all in AA have since passed to find their freedom under God.”
Hope – then Freedom! Keep coming back, please…
I wish I could read Bill’s history. Couldn’t get it over here. I learned a thing or two about AA NA via your posts. Thank you for sharing it, Mark.
The Recovery Program of Alcoholics Anonymous
“Rarely have we seen a person fail who has thoroughly followed our path.”
Dick B.
dickb@dickb.com
http://www.dickb.com/index.shtml
Can You Succeed Today with the Big Book, 12 Steps, and Original Program?
I have, and so can you
The Success of Early A.A. as Reported in
Alcoholics Anonymous
“Of alcoholics who came to A.A. and really tried, 50% got sober at once and remained that way; 25% sobered up after some relapses, and among the remainder, those who stayed on with A.A. showed improvement.” [Alcoholics Anonymous: The Story of How Many Thousands of Men and Women Have Recovered from Alcoholism, 4th ed. (New York, N.Y.: Alcoholics Anonymous World Services, Inc., 2001), page xx]
The Alcoholics Anonymous Original “Program”
as Was Reported by Frank Amos in
DR. BOB and the Good Oldtimers
• An alcoholic must realize that he is an alcoholic, incurable from a medical viewpoint, and that he must never drink anything with alcohol in it.
• He must surrender himself absolutely to God, realizing that in himself there is no hope.
• Not only must he want to stop drinking permanently, he must remove from his life other sins such as hatred, adultery, and others which frequently accompany alcoholism. Unless he will do this absolutely, Smith and his associates refuse to work with him.
• He must have devotions every morning–a “quiet time” of prayer and some reading from the Bible and other religious literature. Unless this is faithfully followed, there is grave danger of backsliding.
• He must be willing to help other alcoholics get straightened out. This throws up a protective barrier and strengthens his own willpower and convictions.
• It is important, but not vital, that he meet frequently with other reformed alcoholics and form both a social and a religious comradeship.
• Important, but not vital, that he attend some religious service at least once weekly. [DR. BOB and the Good Oldtimers (New York, N.Y.: Alcoholics Anonymous World Services, Inc, 1980), 128-36—especially 131.]
There’s not one suggestion in the Big Book, the Twelve Steps, or the highly successful original program as summarized by Frank Amos to Rockefeller that won’t assure your recovery if you thoroughly follow that path. They did it from 1939-1950. I did it, and you can do it. Just come with us, go where we go, do what we do, and get what God has to offer.
Ask an oldtimer today who believes in God, asked for His help, went to any lengths to get it, grew in spiritual understanding and love, and gave himself to others in love and service.
Gloria Deo