January 18
Still Mine to Decide
Turning our will over can sound as though we should stop making decisions. We wait for unmistakable direction about every choice, afraid that using our judgment will put us back in charge. This can leave ordinary responsibilities suspended while we search for a certainty that daily life seldom provides. Our reluctance begins to sound like reverence.
Step Three asks for the use of our will in a different spirit. We can seek guidance, consider the people affected, and make the best decision available to us. Being willing to reconsider belongs to the same process. A decision need not be infallible to be responsible. There is humility in admitting that we must act with incomplete knowledge and may need correction later. God can be part of that honest uncertainty, too. Surrender leaves us with participation, and participation includes choosing without a guarantee that we will choose perfectly.
Where am I waiting for certainty to relieve me of making a decision?
God, help me make this decision honestly.
For the A.A. nerds: Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, Step Three, p. 40.