By Lauren White, Pine Grove Alumni Services

“God, I offer myself to Thee – to build with me and to do with me as Thou wilt.  Relieve me of the bondage of self, that I may better do Thy will.  Take away my difficulties, that victory over them may bear witness to those I would help of Thy Power, Thy Love, and Thy Way of life.  May I do Thy will always!”

When we sincerely took such a position, all sorts of remarkable things followed. We had a new Employer – God.  Being all-powerful, He provided what we needed if we kept close to Him and performed His work well.  Established on such a footing we became less and less interested in ourselves, our little plans and designs.  More and more we became interested in seeing what we could contribute to life.  As we felt new power flow in, as we enjoyed peace of mind, as we discovered we could face life successfully, as we became conscious of His presence, we began to lose our fear of today, tomorrow or the hereafter.  We were reborn.

Step 3 seemed like a daunting proposition to me.  Could I actually abandon myself to God?  How does a person do this?  Being raised in the church, I had heard over and over that I should obey God, do His will and not my own.  I had never been able to consistently do this before AA taught me “how it works”.  In Step 3 we are simply making a decision.  Many people get stuck on this step and I have heard it called the “dance of recovery” or I should say the “dance of relapse”.  Step 1, 2, 3 – go back out; Step 1, 2, 3 – I feel better now;  Step 1, 2, 3 and so on.

Making a decision precedes action.  Taking me into Steps 4-10 where I actually learn how to do Step 3 on a daily basis.  I must, if I want to be free, take a “personal housecleaning”.  I have to learn specifically about my shortcomings – the things that block me from God like my selfishness, my fear and my anger.  I have to get to know myself and get honest about what is going on between my ears – the noise, the chatter, trying to “figure it out” and arrange my life to suit me.  All of these things keep me in my will and block me from freedom, peace, and contentment.  My will or my ego is never satisfied, it always wants more.  Being able to recognize when I do this, pinpoint the defect, and ask God to remove it is “the keystone of the new and triumphant arch through which we pass to freedom.”

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Pine Grove Behavioral Health and Addiction Services is an extension of Forrest General Hospital, located in Hattiesburg, Mississippi. Pine Grove’s world renowned programs focus on treating gender specific chemical addiction including a specialized track for co-occurring eating disorders. Additionally, Pine Grove offers a focused substance abuse healing program for adults age 55 and over. Other Pine Grove specialty programs include a dedicated professional’s treatment curriculum and a comprehensive evaluation center. Pine Grove also features a program for patients with sexual and intimacy disorder issues. Pine Grove was established in 1984 and has provided nationally and internationally recognized health care for over 30 years.

Visit www.pinegrovetreatment.com or call 1-888-574-HOPE (4673) for more information.