Step 11
We sought through prayer and meditation to improve our conscious contact with God as we understood God.
What it means
Regular contact, in whatever form actually works for me.
How abandonment distorts it
Silent contemplative practice can leave me alone with an alarm and no words. That is not a failure of faith.
In this marriage
Contact with God is not a substitute for contact with people. Do both.
Inside me
I have no inner voice and no visual imagination, so meditation for me is EXTERNAL: prayers read out loud, walking, writing, a phone call. That is a legitimate practice, not a lesser one.
Do not do this for 0 minutes
- Do not force a practice that requires visualization or an inner voice you do not have, and then conclude you are bad at recovery.
Morning Surrender
God, I am awake and I am afraid.
I cannot control her heart, her timing, or the outcome.
I surrender the outcome without surrendering myself.
Show me what is mine to do today.
Keep me honest, sober, and kind.
Whatever happens, I will not abandon myself.
Behavioral exercise
- Read one prayer out loud each morning for a week. Out loud, not silently.