Essay

By now you have taken a close look at your life, its situations, events, the feelings surrounding those, and your part in each item. Some of us are at different levels of being "ready" to have God remove our defects.

You were willing to open the suitcase and begin to unpack. Some items may still be tucked towards the back. Look on the bright side; these items can be examined when you begin to work the steps all over again at another time.

Any seasoned traveler knows that one doesn't learn to pack needed items overnight; it even takes practice to recognize unnecessary clutter and to items you need to keep that will serve in use for the "trip." This is why we call it "recovery work."

During the steps, you will notice that you may feel different levels of willingness to examine certain things. Many of us have felt this way.

In Step Six through Eight, we will be learning about accepting imperfections: ours and "theirs," and letting Higher Power sort through them, using flaws as He will (or not) in His own time.

A favorite meditation found In "Just For Today, an OA publishment available at http://www.OA.org, pg. 291, October 17th reading), says: We carry our homes within us which enable us to fly. ---John Cage