STEP THREE, PART 2: A word about God, as we understood (God).

I'm Penny, a compulsive eater and food addict.

It says in the Big Book that, controversial as it is, we are going to have to talk about spiritual matters, and that it doesn't matter what religious affiliation we hold. I need to also speak about such things. My goal is to help those who are struggling with the concept of religion vs. spirituality.

When I came into OA I was a distinct religious minority. It didn't help that I didn't know a lot about my own religion and what I did know was based on a pediatric view of the world because I had stopped learning about my religion when I was a child. I didn't know much about God, but I was concerned that maybe I was talking to the wrong "God."

OA - specifically God, as I understood God - gave me the breathing room I needed. My sponsor - who held different religious beliefs - helped me see that I didn't need to believe in her concept of God - and in fact didn't need to call my Higher Power "God" in the first place. Remember that "want-ad" for God I talked about in Step 2? It really came in handy here. God was not the people who had let me down. God was not the parents who (I believed) only loved me "conditionally." God was everything perfect in the world. Trusting God came slowly - after a lot of fits, starts and yelling "conversations" with God.

My concept of God is good enough; Step 3 taught me that. We are each encouraged to develop a concept of God with which we can live.


Questions for journaling/sharing:

1. What is your concept of God?

2. Is it working for you? Please explain.

3. If your concept of God isn't working for you, are you willing to develop one that *will* work for you?

4. Make a "want-ad" for God: what do you want God to be?

5. Are you willing to trust that God?

Yours in recovery,

Penny