Way back on June 10, 1935, (76 years ago this weekend if you cannot add), Alcoholics Anonymous was formed by Bill Wilson and Dr. Bob Smith in Akron, Ohio. I recently read this account of how it all began:
Newly sober Bill Wilson was on a trip to Akron, Ohio. Meeting with Dr. Smith who himself was struggling with drinking, Wilson explained what had happened to him, how he got sober, and found real spirituality. After Bill Wilson’s first drink he declared that he had “found the elixir of life. It actually was the elixir of his self destruction and Bill Wilson took many times “drying out.”
Finally, in Towns Hospital in New York City recovering from a major bender, Wilson cried out “If there is a God, let him show himself. I am ready to do anything, anything!” Suddenly the room lit up with a great white light. Wilson then said, “So this is the God of the preachers! No matter how wrong things seem to be, they are still all right. Things are all right with God and this world.” After meeting with Wilson and hearing him share his testimony Dr. Smith took his last drink in 1935 and thus began the great self help movement of Alcoholics Anonymous.
Through a similar miraculous experience with God I was able to quit drinking alcohol without the help of rehab or AA, but later in life I went to an AA meeting to support a friend of mine who had been going to it for years. The thing that leaped out at me was that there was no typical stereotype at the meeting. It was a mix of wealthy looking white collar people, blue collar workers, housewives, bums, professionals, blacks, whites, reds, yellows, and brown people. The only common denominator was that they were all either trying to get sober or stay sober.
Someone would start the meeting off and say, “Hi, I’m Bob. I’m an alcoholic.
The group would respond, “Hi Bob.” No last names were used.
Then the person would give his story and the others who suffered similarly would then encourage them. This would be repeated numerous times including my friend getting up and giving his story. There are twelve steps to sobriety in the program and while a few people don’t seem to fit in, it is effective to a large percentage of people who are suffering from this addiction.
I researched the web and found that 42% of all families in the United States have at least one alcoholic in it. That is one heck of a lot of alcoholics folks. I suppose that through the years tens of millions of people have benefitted from this great program that helps people to stay sober and accept what they can’t change in life, and muster up the courage to change what they can.
Currently I’m working on the content for my Bob Williamson Success Seminar to be held later this year at my beloved Honey Lake Plantation Resort and Spa on November 4th and 5th , (more information soon). One of the things I will talk about is obtaining significance with our lives.
The Bible states that our lives are like a vapor; here only for a moment and then gone.
Yikes… This ain’t no dress rehearsal folks. Life is short, so we better get cracking.
Dr Smith and Bill Wilson were severe alcoholics and yet God enabled these men to get sober and stay that way and then accomplish His mighty work by helping millions more to do the same thing. They obtained significance with their lives and I’m not talking about racking up billions in their portfolios and getting highways named after them.
They accumulated treasure in heaven as literally millions of tortured souls have come to know the Lord and their lives have been salvaged, not only for the rest of this life but for all of eternity. Many millions more will undoubtedly join their ranks even though these gentlemen are toe up and pushing up daisies. That my friends is significance.
In light of this premise I would ask: Is closing that next deal or landing that big account really so important? Will that new home with the swimming pool add significance to anyone’s life? Are those TV programs or video games really woth the time put into them? When will we begin to make our move? When will our vapor disappear?
If a severe alcoholic who had to be hospitalized numerous times for drinking too much could hook up with another alcoholic and come up with Alcoholics Anonymous and help people all over the world, what could someone sober like us do to obtain significance?
Hmmm…
Listen to the Spirit:
Matt. 6:20
But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal.