Every day we have an opportunity to grow spiritually. “Spiritual awakenings” are far less common, and are often memorable for their impact. I’ve had two spiritual awakenings: One in Alcoholics Anonymous and one as a Christian.
The First Awakening
Even though I was raised Catholic, by my late teens, I had walked away from organized religion and ran toward a life of alcohol, drugs, occasional sex and a bachelor’s degree from a state university.
The only contacts I had with religion while in college were from an evangelical neighbor in my dorm and a screaming lunatic named Jed Smock, who spewed hell and brimstone a couple of times each year on visits to the university.
Neither contributed to a spiritual awakening in me.
Years later when I admitted I was powerless over alcohol and my life had become unmanageable, I experienced a spiritual awakening in which I became acutely aware of the presence of my Higher Power, whom I call God. That awakening led to me actively communicating through prayer, meditation and everyday conversations with God.
My trust in God increased as I saw people receiving guidance, encouragement and purpose from their Higher Powers. If God did it for them, he could and would do that for me, I reasoned.
In the mid to late 1990s, my wife and I attended church in our hometown. That church had a retreat ministry which we attended. At the second retreat I attended, my Catholic background knowledge of Jesus was refined and became real to me. I knew that day that Jesus did indeed rise from the dead and his life was the way I could receive forgiveness for my sins.
That was my second spiritual awakening. Both are important to me, and my experience is my own—every A.A. member will find their own path to a spiritual awakening. A.A. has no opinion on outside issues and does not affiliate with any sect, denomination, religion or belief.
While my experience is my own, I do hope that everyone reading this is open to examining the concept of a spiritual awakening. Mine opened my eyes and heart. I wish you a similar experience.
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