December 23

December 23 – AM          Page 135, The Family Afterward, Chapter 9

Whether the family goes on a spiritual basis or not, the alcoholic member has to if he would recover.  The others must be convinced of his new status beyond the shadow of a doubt.  Seeing is believing to most families who have lived with a drinker.
Here is a case in point:  One of our friends is a heavy smoker and coffee drinker.  There was no doubt he over-indulged.  Seeing this, and meaning to be helpful, his wife commenced to admonish him about it.  He admitted he was  overdoing these things, but frankly said that he was not ready to stop.  His wife is one of those persons who really feels there is something rather sinful about these commodities, so she nagged, and her intolerance finally threw him into a fit of anger.  He got drunk.
Of course our friend was wrong—dead wrong.  He had to painfully admit that and mend his spiritual fences.  Though he is now a most effective member of Alcoholics Anonymous, he still smokes and drinks coffee, but neither his wife nor anyone else stands in judgment.  She sees she was wrong to make a burning issue out of such a matter when his more serious ailments were being rapidly cured.
We have three little mottoes which are apropos.
Here they are:
First Things First
Live and Let Live
Easy Does It.

December 23 – PM          Page 181, Doctor Bob’s Nightmare, Part I

If you think you are an atheist, an agnostic, a skeptic, or have any other form of intellectual pride which keeps you from accepting what is in this book, I feel sorry for you.  If you still think you are strong enough to beat the game alone, that is your affair.  But if you really and truly want to quit drinking liquor for good and all, and sincerely feel that you must have some help, we know that we have an answer for you.  It never fails, if you go about it with one half the zeal you have been in the habit of showing when you were getting another drink.
Your Heavenly Father will never let you down!