Ahhhh--MIRACLES: SEEN and UNSEEN

POLLY--AND "K"

Recovering Alcoholic, teacher, cookie maker, speaker...

Polly was the speaker at the "cookie" meeting last night. (See "Polly" blog)
http://steveroni.blogspot.com/2008_07_16_archive.html and I got to tell you that her story revealed to the crowd of about 150-200 people, that she indeed is a real alcoholic. And the humility she showed me was inspiring. You know, I believe the way to express humility in a talk, is to not use the word. In fact, maybe that's something I learned last night, "don't talk humility--live it".

When Polly gives me (and many others) an hour of her time, and displays the courage to stand there and more or less bare her soul, it is a gift, presented "as the gentle rain from heaven, dropped upon the place beneath"...dropped upon a room full of recovering alcoholics. Thank you, Polly, for your gift. Your talk was as good as your cookies, believe me!

God has truly been working in Polly's life in convincing and powerful ways--and she is willing to let all know that it is HE, not she, who is boss in her life today.

Each time I hear someone speak about their "last drink" or the day that "the game was over" or that "I surrendered", it gives me those feverish chills, which only a "God-thing" can produce. And to hear Polly talk about "that moment" brought tears to my eyes--and still does this morning. (Had deleted this paragraph, but just decided to put it back in--Polly won't mind!)

I myself often 'preach', that God does 'talk' to me, but only through other people. Of course, then I gotta listen! Well, He 'talked' last night, and I listened.

Looking about twenty years younger than her real age, Polly is a school teacher, and I cannot envision anyone in her class receiving less than an "A" grade. Recently, a seventeen-year-old girl "K." stayed with us over-night, and Anna and I had the privilege, the honor, of introducing her to my morning group. Polly sat next to "K" and I now know that God was sitting there also. And I know WHY! Read on:

Yesterday "K", who lives in Norfolk, called us in Naples to say that at an AA meeting she met her TEACHER! "K" (and the teacher?) was shocked. "K"'s question was how could she face her teacher ("K is a high school senior). So naturally, Anna counseled "K" on the phone, to ask her teacher to be her sponsor. Don't you know, I can feel God's presence all over the place today, and it's only 6 AM.

And so, I've missed my 6 o'clock meeting...but there IS one just following, so I hope I can just sit and listen, and maybe learn something again today. If only I can keep my mouth shut! Thirty-four years ago they told me to "Take the cotton out of your ears...etc." and somewhere along the way, I forgot how to do that.

Thank you R., for asking your bestest friend Polly to speak. And thank you, Matthew, for traveling back to Naples to receive your thirty-year chip!