Many years ago now, we heard a friend share in a 12-Step meeting. The topic was "Why I keep coming to meetings," and the usual comments had been made. Then our friend said:

The reason I keep coming to meetings is this: I am afraid that if I stop, even for a while, I may never ever, for the rest of my life, have the chance to see as clearly as I do right now what is wrong with me and what I must do to change that.

Those of us that practice Steps 10, 11 and 12 on a committed basis see the truth of this with respect to our ongoing practice of the spiritual tenets of Program. Periodically, friends in Program will ask us about our resolve, our focus on the last three Steps. If we are fortunate enough to have meetings that are dedicated to these Steps, our friends may attend -- for a while. Then they stop coming. Or they "try" to meditate for a while, and then give it up as a bad job. There is, of course, nothing we can do about this decision of theirs to go back to the old way of doing things -- just as there is nothing we can do about program members who decide to return to their addictions.

If we are investigating the practice of the last three Steps on a meaningful and ongoing basis, we will do well to remember what our friend said in that meeting. We may never again see as clearly as we see right now how much we need this spiritual practice in our daily lives. The place we are at right now may be the chance of a lifetime -- literally. May God grant that we grasp it with both hands.