Stopped Fighting

After all, our problems were of our own making... Besides, we have stopped fighting anybody or anything.  We have to! - Big Book of A.A. p103

We have stopped fighting anybody or anything?  You have got to be kidding me!  I recently came across a situation that caused me to stop and reread this portion of the Big Book.  My sponsor asked me to dress up for the meeting on Sunday where we are receiving our tokens. 

"We do it to show respect for what this program has done for us". 
And my sponsor hasn't ever met or listened to Johnny H. or Clancy I, who I know would back my sponsor up in a heartbeat!  I'll be damned if I didn't immediately go into this spiral of thinking about how Jesus didn't dress up and how horrible it was that my sponsor asked ME to change!  I mean, isn't the program all about unconditional love?  "I should be accepted for me no matter what I am wearing dammit!"  What was my sponsor thinking! 

A few days later this little voice in my head spoke up, "We stopped fighting people, places and things."  And a few hours later, this passages is glaring at me from the Big Book. 

While I have been wallowing in poor me, poor me, pour me a drink..it suddenly dawns on me that I am judging my sponsor, the request itself, etc., and that the program says, I am not supposed to fight it.  Guess what?  I will be dressed up next Sunday and with a smile and not a resentment!

Thank you Higher Power.  Thank you for removing this resentment, for guiding me to the right words in the Big Book and for giving me the willingness to be kind rather than righteous!  Thank you.