Step 2 and the Higher Power Who Does Business with You – Mary T.

About This Speaker Tape

La Jolla, three weeks into a crisis with her daughter, and Mary T. finally surrenders. Having been a battered wife and a "weekend guest" of the local police, she didn't feel worthy of a deity, nor did she feel safe. For twenty years, her faith was merely intellectual—a concept rather than a connection. The shift happened when she stopped looking for a religious figure and started looking for a best friend.

Mary describes a Higher Power that "does business" with the broken, a presence that feels like the safety she found in her sponsors or the quiet energy of her cat, E.T. She warns that the low spots are "certain," not possible, and without a personalized power to lean on, the wreckage is overwhelming. By admitting her selfishness to her "animal self," she cleared the way for a Higher Power that isn't a distant judge, but a companion who offers sound thinking and a way back to sanity.

Topics

Timestamps

• 0:00 Mary T. opens with a joke about the altitude and lack of oxygen.
• 3:15 Mary T. discusses the 'invisible ministry' and the influence of Emmett F.
• 7:40 Mary T. shares her history of being battered and the need for a 'safe' Higher Power.
• 13:10 Donna D. discusses the 'Einstein definition of insanity' regarding the second step.
• 18:45 Aaron M. describes his resentment toward a Higher Power and his return to treatment after 15 years.
• 23:50 Tony B. talks about the 'novel concept' of praying on his knees and the noise in his head.
• 27:10 Tom describes his struggle with slot machines and the dishonesty of 'fist-stepping'.
• 32:40 Jim shares his 'control enthusiast' approach to medical issues and his foot surgery.
• 38:10 Kat discusses using a 'Higher Power box' to lighten the weight of her problems.
• 42:15 Marianne recounts her rainy night in New York City and finding a rainbow meeting.