Hokay, so I can't shut up tonight. Better pray for a power outage or a stuck control key on this thing.
     My wife and I read together daily, Her from Max Lucado's "Grace for the Moment II" and I from AA's "Daily Reflections". It's a thing we committed to when I got sober and has become a very important part of our rising in the morning. 
    The main course today was from Max's book. It was entitled "Travel Light". The premise of the writing was the fact that God has a race for me to run. I may not know the route, how far or where it will end up, but that does not matter a whit. What does is to be prepared for that race.
     I can't run that race without a little prepartion and legwork. Nor can I run it wearing a suit of 16th century medevial armor and carryng a refrigerator. I'd get about ten steps, fall on my face and probably die of heat exhaustion. 
      Max questions how I can share grace if I am still full of guilt, offer comfort if I am disenheartened or carry anothers load if I'm up to my *ss in my own baggage? Good question.
     I'm going to twist this into the AA mold a bit. On page 164 of the Big Book is the "Promises". Go to enough meetings and you memorize it. Don't go to enough and you may wish you had. A sentence in it states simply: "See to it that your relationship with Him is right, and great events will come to pass for you and countless others.".  
     Part of that "relationship with Him" is the emotional baggage I carry to one extent or another. The steps we are supposed to do are designed to help us get rid of that baggage. For if I do not rid myself of the nasty, annoying and spiteful anger, fear and resentments I cannot truly help others.
     Words are easy. I can make quotes from all kinds of references and sermonize till the cows quit giving milk.
     Actions are another story. I can talk the talk, but can I walk the walk? I believe I can, some days far better than others and today better than 6 months ago. Ninety-nine percent of it depends on how straight I am with the Man. Like the Van Zant song says (minus the bottle, duh). Most of it comes from not only getting rid of most of the overweight baggage I started with, but taking care to not pick any extra up along the race. And great things have already occurred for me. I'm still breathing, not drinking and I can look in a mirror again without cringing. Not all bad.
     Notice I didn't say all the baggage? I ain't a saint, and doubt if I ever will be. But for me this is most certainly one of those "progress, not perfection" things. I will probably be be trying to clear the last of the excess baggage as I check out of this zoo. But no regrets. I may not come in first but I am in His race - for the long haul...

Nuff said,
Dennis