Richard,

I think you intended to convey that we are all in a relationship with a different HP -- the one of our own conception -- and I imagine all of us trudging on the road to Happy Destiny, having gotten there via the Broad Highway, where I can walk shoulder to shoulder in fellowship who may have a completely different conception than I do!

Happy, Joyous, and Freee......t-giving,

503

Early in sobriety, a friend said to me, "What if God [or a higher power] is simply consciousness -- all that is not you?" I traveled for a long time on that conception and it's always illustrated to me when I see people at war with the world, so to speak. My father is a terrific example of this -- not alcoholic, but he has the spiritual malady (that we alcoholics are IMHO smart enough in a way to at least drink over!) and is always in conflict/annoyed by people, places and things around him. You can't go out to dinner with him without him being rude to the server, stressed about this or that, bossy and controlling about what he doesn't like that you do...i.e. he has a terrible relationship with the world around him.

My opinion, love it or leave it, is that even he is in a relationship with God or a higher power -- just one that he chooses or doesn't choose to participate in. I believe this about the most ardent atheist. I know a lot of people whom I admire in spades who would tell you they have no belief in God at all -- yet they have a great relationship with the world around them!

The other bookend to my sobriety thoughts which I realized after going through the process and getting a couple of amends under my belt was that my higher power, at least sometimes, is no more and no less than my connection to others through service. (i.e. I need that service part because if I have a connection to you through crack cocaine, I'm going to be selfish and self-seeking in my behavior).

Those two ideas have been huge to me and I hope people will consider them as valid conceptions of a higher power. AA literature says this realm is "roomy and inclusive" -- I'd say a great example of someone with a higher power would be anyone who has ever taken the time to write a helpful post here at CZ to serve a complete stranger! (I would conversely posit that anyone who has written an ugly post about why this person or that person is awful or wrong, etc. is an example of someone at war with the world...our Curezone world! Which is a very important one to me...I have found so many teachers here.

Anyway...I hope this is not offensive to anyone but that if you have always thought you didn't believe in God or the Universe or the Great Reality or whatever, that those two ideas that were SO helpful to me might be helpful to you...

In love and service --

50438