by Chad Lentscher, Director of Alumni, Origins South Padre 

There is a solution, and you probably won’t like it.

“There is a solution. Almost none of us liked the self-searching, the leveling of our pride, the confession of shortcomings which the process requires for its successful consummation.” (Big Book, page 25).

I don’t like writing inventories, looking at my character defects, or making amends more than anyone else. It’s uncomfortable. So, the solution to my discomfort is discomfort? Yes! If I want to grow closer to God, and experience true freedom, I must walk through some discomfort. The enemy of all of us is relief. I will settle for relief, confusing it with freedom, only to experience that same pain or discomfort again, and again, and again.

I encounter struggle often, and the solution is always the same; God, through the process of the 12-Steps. Process is the keyword. I like to think these single actions are going to free me. I’ll write some inventory, and then I’ll feel better, or I’ll pray and meditate, and then I’ll feel better, or I’ll go to a meeting, and then I’ll feel better.

Part of the problem is that I’m more fixated on how I feel than my relationship with God. I’m looking for relief, rather than freedom, and I’m still a victim of the delusion that I can wrest satisfaction and happiness out of this world if I only manage well (Alcoholics Anonymous, page 61.)

Are you seeking a deeper level of awakening and a deeper relationship with God through the entire process of the 12-Steps?

We’d love to help you, a friend, a loved one. Call 844-211-9058