Narcotics Anonymous

Just For Today - Daily Email Service

   January 20                                         One promise, many gifts

    "Narcotics Anonymous offers only one promise, and that is freedom from
                             active addiction..."

                                                           Basic Text, p. 106

                           ----=----

   Imagine how it might be if we had arrived at the doors of Narcotics
   Anonymous, desperate, wanting to stop using drugs, only to be met by a
   sales pitch:    "If you just work the steps and don't use drugs,
   you'll get married, live in the suburbs, have 2.6 children, and start
   wearing polyester.  You will become a responsible, productive member of
   society and be fit company for kings and presidents.  You will be rich and
   have a dynamic career."  Most of us, greeted with such a heavy-handed
   spiel, would have shrieked and bolted for the door.

   Instead of high-pressure nonsense and frightening predictions, we are
   greeted with a promise of hope: freedom from active addiction.  We feel a
   blessed relief come over us when we hear that we never have to use drugs
   again.  We aren't going to be forced to become anything!

   Of course, after some time in recovery, good things start happening in our
   lives.  We are given gifts-spiritual gifts, material gifts, gifts that
   we've always dreamed of but never dared hope we'd get.    These,
   however, are truly gifts-they are not promised to us just because we
   become NA members.   All we are promised is freedom from addiction-and
   it's more than enough!

                           ----=----

   Just for today:  I have been promised freedom from active addiction.   The
   gifts I receive are the benefits of recovery.