I went to one of the best AA meetings in my life recently. The topic of the meeting was the last three Steps, and I enjoy discussions on that topic because for over a year now I've been meditating regularly.

I guess meditation does different things for different people. For me, meditation has caused me to focus for the first time in my recovery on the true significance of the decision I took so carelessly in the Third Step. "Made a decision to hand our will and our lives over ...." -- how lightly I passed over the significance of that decision!

Anyway, after this AA meeting a bunch of us went out to eat, and the TV was on in the restaurant, showing the latest developments in some war-torn part of the world. Almost immediately my friends started debating with some heat the pros and cons of the politics and economics of the situation. And for the first time in my life, I just sat there and listened, and said to myself:

What is the point of this debate? Haven't we learned anything from the discussion we just had in the meeting? How long does it take us all to see that we can't have it both ways? Either God as we understand God is in control of everything or else he isn't.

I talked with a friend afterwards about this experience. He looked thoughtful, and then said:

"Well, they may not have accepted the Third Step. But the main question is -- have you?"

I'm not sure. But I do think I'm on the way.