Wholesale Condemnation

Instead, we looked at the human defects of these people, and sometimes used their shortcomings as a basis of wholesale condemnation.  We talked of intolerance, while we were intolerant ourselves.  We missed the reality and the beauty of the forest because we were diverted by the ugliness of some of its trees.  We never gave the spiritual side of life a fair hearing.  Big Book, p50

Someone once asked me how I felt when someone shut the door in my face when I was trying to walk into a store.  I told them that it made me angry.  Then I was told, why don't you think about the 1000's of times someone held the door open for you when on occasion a person (tree) isn't considerate.  They were right!  I always focused on the one bad thing and not on the 1000 good ones.  I had a love affair with negative emotions!

This is taking me a long, long time to learn.  And I suspect it is the same way with others.  I have to practice seeing the essence of God within another person.  It is so hard for me, especially if someone is yelling at me, doesn't like me or flips me off as I drive down the road.  To dig a little deeper and see underneath all of that takes a lot of practice.  It seems easier to condemn than it is too seek, but that was just the programming of the patterns of my life talking.  It is actually easier on my health, my serenity and mine and other's well-being for me to actually take a little more time and look for the good.  In the flesh, we are all very sick people and that's just a fact.  Spiritually, however, there is a Power within each of us that is incredible and for me it is the Power of Love (God).  When I focus on that, I can see the beautiful forest.

Thank you Higher Power.  Thank you for the love, the mercy and the caring you show me, in spite of my rebellious nature.  Thank you for helping me to see the Truth in my own thinking and for lifting the veil of denial and revealing more to me each day.  Thank you for the gift of desperation and receptivity.  Thank you.