Patient, Tolerant and Humble

As has been indicated, a little more patient, a little more tolerant, a little more humble. But . . .not a tolerance that becomes timid--this would make rebellion in self. Not a patience that is not positive. Not an humbleness that becomes morbid or lacking in beauty. For as orderliness is a part of thy being, so let consistency--as persistency--be a part of thy being.

Edgar Cayce Reading 1402-1

I have been pondering this reading for a couple weeks now. One thing that has been rolling among the dust bunnies in my head is how tolerance, patience and indifference affected WWII. I wonder if the tolerance wasn't so timid and the patience was positive would it have saved more lives... questions that there is just no answer for.

Many of you may say now what the heck does that have to do with sobriety. I had to ask myself the same question. My HP has a funny way of showing me things and I knew that this was His way of trying to teach me something.

I do a lot of on line AA meetings and am a firm believer in the third tradition (long form). But the behavior of some people in the meetings has had me questioning just how patience and tolerant are we suppose to be. Are we to be tolerant and indifferent of gossip, criticism, and attacks on character? Am I to stand up and say that everyone deserves to be there even when the only reason a member is there is to destroy the unity and attack all the members they don't like? Nothing outside of AA will destroy it ... it can only be destroyed from the inside.

It occurred to me that WWII can be a learning lesson for me in the type of patience, tolerance and indifference I am to display in my AA groups and in my life as a whole. I don't want a Hitler type of person to come in and start to control the meetings nor do I in trying to do my part want to become a Hitler.

We all have earned a spot in AA no matter how grave the personality twists may be. But we don't have the right to run people off, or call them names and spread untruth about them, we don't have the right to take an entire meeting hostage hurling insults and judgments upon the other members there or because we think it's funny to upset someone to the point that they are screaming and yelling. We don't have the right to tell someone that believes in Allah that they can't speak the name of their HP while we talk of God and Jesus Christ. These are just a few examples of what I have experienced lately.

I need to practice a tolerance that is not timid, a patience that is positive, and a humility that is beautiful. When I do this I am doing my part in serving others and creating a healthy environment for us to share our experience, strength and hope. I need to pray for the ones that don't understand the importance of unity and building people up and not tearing them down. I also need to seek out meetings that fill my cup so that I can keep walking the path I need to walk.

There are a lot of right things about AA and there are many dangers also. I need to keep asking myself ... am I apart of the problem or am I apart of the solution.