An Act of Providence

“It is truly awful to admit that, glass in hand, we have warped our minds into such an obsession for destructive drinking that only an act of Providence can remove it from us.   12x12, p. 21

My act of Providence, (a manifestation of divine care and direction), came as I experienced the total bankruptcy of active alcoholism — everything meaningful in my life was gone. I telephoned Alcoholics Anonymous and, from that instant, my life has never been the same. When I reflect on that very special moment, I know that God was working in my life long before I was able to acknowledge and accept spiritual concepts. The glass was put down through this one act of Providence and my journey into sobriety began. My life continues to unfold with divine care and direction. Step One, in which I admitted I was powerless over alcohol, that my life had become unmanageable, takes on more meaning for me — one day at a time — in the life-saving, life-giving Fellowship of Alcoholics Anonymous.” 

From the book Daily Reflections

 There is a legal definition for Act of Providence per uslegal.com:

Act of providence is an accident against which ordinary skill and foresight could not guard. This is synonymous to act of God. For certain acts no one can be held responsible. Naturally occurring events that are unavoidable can be considered as act of providence. In such cases, liability will not rest on one person. However, if the consequences of the natural act are foreseeable liability can shift because due diligence was not exercised by a person.

Synonyms for an Act of Providence include: divine intervention; act of god; and miracle.

Alcoholics by definition have issues with depression since alcohol is a central nervous system depressant.  It is a terminal downward spiral for a depressed person to be addicted to a depressant.

There are many miracles at work in my life today.  Not using drugs is a vital first step.  Having a trustworthy simple reproducible program of recovery and living is the key to my building a meaningful life that works for me today.  It is far from perfect and infinitely better than how it used to be.

I am grateful for the Acts of Providence in my life that have enabled me to let go self-pity, dishonesty and self-seeking behavior in ways far beyond the best of my ability.