Priceless Peace
Anonymous was so afraid of financial insecurity that stealing was normal. But the Big Book promises came true for him before getting halfway through his Step Nine amends.
Readings
Skye’s No-Limit
When Anonymous asked God to help curb her impulse purchases, a homeless woman named Skye showed up and provided an opportunity to shop charitably and make a living amend
Imagine If
We can better appreciate Tradition Nine by imagining if OA was organized by VIPs and from the top down.
Light Wash
“A glass that looks so clean when out of the bright light can actually be very dirty,” notes Paulette. When she agrees reluctantly in to be held up to the light, she says “It is shocking to see me as I really am . . . . but now I know what to do about it.” The answer is in the Seventh Step.
Step Seven Save
”I struggle so much with the character defect of pride,” says one OA member, “and I find the antidote in the Principle of Step Seven: humility.”
Mopping Up Mistakes
Dorothy cheated her employers to the tune of thousands of dollars, and she was hopeless to pay back such a large sum. But her sponsor encouraged her, she became willing, and Higher Power responded in kind.
Who’s In Charge? All of Us
“We are all in charge of our own side of the street and our own programs,” says one OA member, who remarks how gratifying it is that service body decisions are all based on following our primary purpose: to carry the message of recovery.
Honest Effort
Sander did not work Step Nine fully the first time around. But the second time, he learned how Step Nine can remove the guilt and other feelings that had been triggering him to eat.
Tradition Nine: Alive and Well
How do you know if Tradition Nine is being practiced in your group? One OA member offers a number of ways to tell.
Tradition Seven: Strive to Give
“I took on service tasks to learn them,” Cindy says, ”not because I was already an expert, and taking on those risks taught me faith, trust, and new skills.”