Christian Food for Thought for December 2008 from Anne Magierski

Step 11 - Sought through prayer and meditation to improve our conscious contact with God, praying only for knowledge of His will for us and the power to carry that out. - 12 Step Recovery Program of AA

Those words came to mind on the first Sunday of Advent, as I recalled my association years ago with Al-Anon, one of the self-help programs that grew out of the 12 Steps of Alcoholics Anonymous. It was through this particular step that I was drawn back to the Christian faith of my childhood. I am a "cradle-Episcopalian" and I remember vividly a phone conversation I had at age 5 after my tonsillectomy. To prove I was O.K., I sang "Jesus loves me, this I know, for the Bible tells me so". I never doubted for a moment that He had been with me every minute of the surgery. Years later, I asked myself, "What happened? Where is God? Why is my world so topsy-turvy? What am I doing wrong?" The answers came as I gradually worked through the 12 steps. I returned to the Episcopal church. It was a new beginning. Step 12 refers to this as a spiritual awakening, i.e. an epiphany. The program had been, in a sense, my Advent season...the time spent preparing to meet God...again. Advent is a season for Christians, intentionally, to remember their need for God to come again into their lives. It is a time for calm and thoughtfulness before the hustle and bustle of preparation for Christmas. It is a marvelous opportunity for spiritual growth and is marked by a spirit of expectation, of anticipation, of preparation, of longing. When we take time to shut down the "busyness" and distractions of everyday living and working, even for a few minutes, quiet prayer and meditation help us recall what living should be about...praying for knowledge of God's will for us and the power to carry that out. A friend once described her mental state during the month before Christmas as not unlike a tree filled with jabbering monkeys, swinging from limb to limb. This had been an apt description of my own Advent seasons for too many years. While continuing to attend services each Sunday, Advent had become a time for gift shopping, Christmas decorations, card writing, cookie baking and entertaining friends. Once I retired, remarried and moved to the shore, everything began to fall into place. I believe that being here, in this place, at this time, and doing what I am doing, is what God had in mind for me all along. Thank you Jesus!