A Step 2 and 3 question...

[Fire Walk With Me]

Have you had in your life, previous to encountering the 12 Steps, experiences which you then or now consider to be acts of God? I've wondered if and how common this would be among 12-Steppers, to allow greater ease of faith/belief upon encountering Steps 2 and 3 (much less the rest).

If God would build in this sort of thing into our lives as an aid (and if not, what lesson/depth was learned as a result).

Cheers to everyone!

[get the red out]

1. Maybe

I was an angry Agnostic before I got sober, emphasis on ANGRY, so I didn't think much of "God" and wouldn't have considered anything an act of God. But loosing my career was a blessing. I hated it, I wondered driving to work (hung over) every morning if I could put my car into the path of a truck to escape it, then tried to drink away the thoughts of it at night. But I would have told you my career was all that I was and that the shame of loosing it would be worse for me and my family than my death. Then they fired me! And I couldn't make myself die, then eventually I got help and lived.

The social image required by my old path wouldn't have allowed for me to enter recovery back in the early 90s because of stigma and being in a very small community. I consider it an act of a benevolent Universe when I absolutely not give up that career, even though it was the most hated thing in my life, it was taken from me and I lived despite the times I took hands full of pills and washed them down with 100 proof vodka "just to see what would happen". I feel huge gratitude that I was rescued against my will. It makes me see that I have a path that exists in the whole that can be beneficial to me, and I was directed away from misery and death despite myself.

I believe I can access the positive paths that the Universe offers, if I try not go running of into conflict. I beat my head against the wall sober a few years ago trying to get into a somewhat similar career to what I had when drunk. I couldn't understand how I could be years sober and still not be allowed to have an "honorable" career (bragging rights/title). I fully understand again looking back. I would have hated it and dreaded every day. Some things just aren't for me and when I don't know that, someone/thing/other, God/Goddess does.

[Fire Walk With Me]

2. Wow. Thanks for your story.

I'm glad that you're with us, and in a happy/happier place!