Unity

Unity is such an important aspect and goal of both our retreat and our recovery. AA’s First Tradition states that, “Our common welfare should come first; personal recovery depends upon A.A. unity.

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Alone we were incapable of not picking up that first drink. Most of us had condemned and abandoned ourselves to a life of loneliness, despair and depression to which we could find no end or relief. Ashamed of our drinking and behavior and afraid to ask for help we suffered, mired in the swamp of active alcoholism… All our efforts failed, “If I do this, I’ll be able to stop.” “If I try that, I won’t drink.” “I’ve got my willpower.” yet we drank anyway… What were we to do?

We’ve found that when we could take no more and asked for help, help was gladly given. When we asked other alcoholics for help, they understood us and reached out their hands to pull us from the swamp of alcoholism and self pity.

The men of Matt Talbot Group 113 have all been there. In unity we strive to aid one another. For that’s the point of unity, one another. We encourage one another with our stories, experience and hope. We love one another as brothers who all suffer from the same malady of body and mind, especially the newcomer who invariably struggles with even loving himself. We serve one another with comradery, a joyful smile and an ear eager to listen. We comfort one another with compassion and empathy when we are hurt. We draw strength from one another as we all share the same exact problem, no matter our background, king alcohol was our master. In unity we lift each other up and overcome. Doctors, mechanics, lawyers, truck drivers, men from every walk of life, as brothers, aid each other in recovery. Most importantly we aid each other in finding and forming a relationship with a Higher Power, of your understanding, upon whom we can rely for all things.

This attitude of unity stands in stark contrast to our alcoholic way of thinking. The thinking of ego, the thinking of fear, the thinking of pride. This had failed us, but unity had not. My plans had led to wreckage and drunkenness. My desires led to hurt, abandoned family and friends. My preferences, my agenda, my feelings… the list goes on and on and with each one it separates us more and more from our loved ones and our Higher Power. We had to “divorce” ourselves from this way of thinking. As we strive to leave self interest behind and follow the will of our Higher Power we find hope. We learn to encourage one another, affirm one another, and support one another and we do this willingly and lovingly with all our brothers. Unity helps us to recognise the value of our brothers. Unity helps us keep the focus on the important things, building our relationship with our brothers which in turn leads us to building a strong and lasting relationship with our Higher Power. That is of course the most important relationship of all as it’s our Higher Power that grants us a “daily reprieve” from our malady “based upon our spiritual condition.”

A.W. Tozer, wrote in the book, “The Pursuit of God,” “Has it ever occurred to you that one hundred pianos all tuned to the same fork are all tuned to each other? They are of one accord by being tuned, not to each other, but to the standard to which each one must individually bow.” As brothers, all looking to our Higher Power in our recovery from alcoholism, we are bonded, we are one, we are united.