[Leed]

Days of Healing, Days of Joy............................................Nov. 8th

Let us then be up and doing,
With a heart for any fate,
Still achieving, still pursuing,
Learn to labor and to wait......... Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

A master sculptor may strike a block of marble a hundred times before anything noticeable happens. Yet the hundred-and-first blow creates a perfect break in the stone. What caused the perfect break - the last blow or the hundred that went before?

So it is with personal growth. We may see no appreciable gain after a long series of consistent, dogged efforts. And then it happens. All of a sudden a corner is turned a truth is revealed, a bad habit loses its grip.

But of course it didn't happen suddenly. The gain was made, one blow at a time, one step at a time, by all the seemingly ineffective, probably forgotten efforts that preceded the turnaround.
______________________________
Today, I have absolute faith in the process of growth,. I no longer expect a medal for each lap run.

Growth seemed to take so long in the program for me. I was so damaged, that all the work I was doing didn't seem to take me anywhere. But I knew I couldn't stop - or I'd revert back to the old damaged "me."

I don't know when it was that I realized one day that some of my bad habits were gone - and I HAD seen some growth!! All the work I'd been doing had not been for nothing -- the program DID work! That only made me work even harder to attain the serenity I'd so long been searching for.
I'd longed for peace of mind all my life, and it was within my grasp!

[cookfan56]

Leed -- very inspirational words.

Yes, it took me years and years, getting time together only to relapse, hundreds and hundreds of meetings, and several sponsors (a couple excellent, a couple good, and a couple stinkers, LOL) to finally grow. And yes, I've made it through: my husband's cancer this year, my own challenging health issues, major depressions that lasted what seemed like forever, and serious family issues/health problems with my kids.

All in the last three years, and stayed sober through them all. Now, did we lose our home like the hurricane victims? No. We also didn't become bankrupt and no one died. However, just the problems I mentioned above, maybe only one of those problems, may have "caused" me to drink before. So I guess that is growth!

Thanks to everyone for their wonderful contributions to this forum. When I wonder what good has come with my issues in leading meetings where I live now, now I know that coming to this forum for help, and getting it! was the good that came of my meeting chairing issues.

I intend to become as regular a member here as I can, and "give away" what has been so kindly and freely given to me!

[gma45]

Once again right on time Leed! This is just what I needed to hear today although you posted it a few days ago I just read it....right on time! Thanks.