ANOTHER "P" WORD?

ANOTHER "P" WORD?

P

This is a story about P and his (our) Higher Power. Bloggers, you'll have to supply the name, because it is that name we all know so well a.k.a., Mickey. I tried to reach P to receive permission to use his first name--but "P" will have to do. Besides, this is about our Higher Power at work, not about P....or me! OK?

A number of years ago, a man named P came into our Tuesday Men's meeting, and left, then returned, then went out again, ya know what I mean. He joined the 'special research team of AA'--those who try out some more drinking, so the rest of us don't have to.

About a week ago, I noticed P again back in the room at the daily 7 AM "Early Dawn" Group. He announced he was returning. He looks good, and is a friendly chap. Fact is, he's an alcoholic and likes to drink. How unique! Duhhh. Well, P now has about 10 days or something like that, and after this morning's meeting I met P. again.

I was on my motorbike, stopped at a light, and P drove up beside me, handed me his card, said, "Please call me some time today. I want to talk to you." Well, naturally, my pride said to me, "Steve, this man finally has an acute awareness of the ONE person who he should seek to be his sponsor--Me! Right?" WRONG!!!

I was all set to blog tonight that I had a pigeon named P, I'd call him P II, etc., etc.

Digress now a minute here: This past Monday night I posted a blog about an early "Turning Point" in my AA life. God granted me the power to make a phone call, and my life was saved that night in 1975. Well, the topic of the meeting Tuesday morning (I chaired it) was "One Turning Point" in your life. P was there.

Back to real time: Today P, at that stop light in heavy traffic, handed me his card to call him. I made several calls, no answer. Finally, we connected. I was expecting him to say, "I need a sponsor". No. Instead, here, in essence is what he said:

"Steve, I want to thank you. Yesterday was one of the worst days in my life. The morning at my business was chaos. My habit when things were falling to pieces--always--was to go out at noon, and return to work the next day with a huge hangover. And so would have begun another drunk, probably this time with disastrous results."

P continued: "However, I remembered your sharing that morning about your huge 'Turning Point' when you had a choice between using the telephone, or embarking on a probable life-ending drunk....and you called for help. What a beautiful story."

P said, "And I thought to myself, if Steve could do that, so can I. So I called my sponsor C, and he and I talked, and worked it all out, and I'm still sober, and I'll see you tomorrow, Thursday morning, at the 7 AM meeting. Just wanted you to know, God IS working in my life, through you today! Thank you, thank you."

What a wonderful way to end my day. I cannot even begin to inventory things I might have done wrong today, for all the joy P's call brought me. There were other lightning-bright and illuminating events which happened around me and to me today. But this is just short of becoming a Blong, so I'll finish with expressing my heartfelt gratitude to God, AA, my wonderful meetings and friends, and for the unexplainable love God has put in my heart for you bloggers, on whom I rely so much for my continuing process of growing in spirituality!

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