March 26
The Shorter Detour
An argument begins in a familiar way. We interrupt, hear ourselves getting louder, and suddenly recognize where we are headed. This time we stop before delivering the remark we will have to apologize for. Later, we may dismiss the whole exchange as another failure. We were impatient again. Yet something happened inside that familiar difficulty which would have been unlikely a few years ago.
Progress can include recognizing trouble sooner and spending less time defending it. This is easy to overlook if we count only days without mistakes. The interruption still matters, and an apology may be due. But noticing a change in how we respond to our own conduct gives us a truthful reason to continue. God can help us in the middle of an old pattern. We need not wait until the entire conversation has gone badly before accepting that help.
What change am I overlooking because the beginning still looks familiar?
Stopping halfway is different from going all the way.
For the A.A. nerds: As Bill Sees It, No. 6, “All or Nothing?”