Moments of clarity

Last night at the meeting, we shared about moments of clarity when we came into the program. I don't recall having any moment of clarity when I came in, other than perhaps that I needed to do something that would help me. I felt miserable and empty. Maybe it was the fact that nothing was clear to me or made much sense anymore and that's why I went to an Al-Anon meeting on the suggestion of a good friend.

What was particularly poignant was the sharing of a woman who said that she happened to look down at her bracelet during the meeting and saw the words that made things clear to her: Truth, Courage, Wisdom, Grace, Balance.

She shared that the moment of truth came when she recognized that she could not control someone else, and that she had no ability to manage her own life. She became courageous when she was able to look at the truth and open herself up to the possibility that there was a power greater than herself at work. She had wisdom by being willing to follow others in the program who had the power and peace that she wanted, to see wisdom in them and to seek that wisdom.
Once she received the courage and wisdom and found out the real truth through working steps one through four, she was willing to ask for grace and to give grace in the form of forgiveness. And the balance of her life came through the process of working the steps. She could give to others instead of always taking.

The program provides a circle, just like the bracelet, that doesn't end as long as we are willing to believe that I'll get the truth, courage, wisdom, grace and balance that I seek.