Writing Prompt: A Daily Reprieve

 Prompt: Contemplate the idea of a daily reprieve and the work required to keep it. Write about where you are with this in your life today. It could be a reprieve from any number of issues that you are experiencing now in sobriety.

Beyond Temporary Relief

For this week’s writing on AA’s Daily Reprieve, I decided to first look up the definition of “reprieve” to see what I could find. A cancellation or postponement of a punishment, it said. And a cancellation of a painful or otherwise lousy situation. In other words, if you’re being tortured, a reprieve is a break from whatever’s tormenting you. To get a reprieve is to get relief for a time. A reprieve is only temporary. 

In sobriety now for over 7 years, I’ve found a long term reprieve from the horrors of active alcoholism. The Big Book says: “What we really have is a daily reprieve contingent upon the maintenance of our spiritual condition.” A daily reprieve in AA refers to the idea that people in recovery can postpone the inevitability of their damaging drinking or drug use by staying focused on one day at a time, and carrying God’s will into all our activities. Importantly, this means His will, not mine, be done.  

To maintain this AA daily reprieve, I do the following: 

1. Practice spirituality through prayer and meditation. I try to pray consistently, though it’s been hard remembering to say a prayer every day. I joined a prayer accountability group with a few people which has helped me to stay focused and on track. As for meditation, I installed the Insight Timer app on my phone, and I’ve been following some guided meditations for managing anxiety and fear. It’s been helpful.

2. Live in the present by focusing on the here and now, not the catastrophic future. Nick from our AA fellowship says the Higher Power resides in the present. I firmly believe that. When I hang out in future thinking I tend to feel nothing but terror and I feel alone. But in the present I have peace and have experienced conscious contact with God. God’s will for me can be found in the present. I just need to let go of trying to control outcomes. 

3. Work the AA program. I do this by attending AA meetings, meeting my sponsor Shawn once a week, and working to complete the 12 AA Steps. I’m currently on Step 7 and I’ve been here for awhile. Shawn is letting me take my time, which I appreciate. I’m looking forward to the Spiritual Awakening that comes from completing the Steps. 

And 4. Serve others. I do this by sharing my experience, strength and hope at AA meetings, making 7th tradition donations, and staying active in my prayer group and my writing group. It’s important that I stay involved with my AA fellowship. I treasure the people I have met in AA, and consider them kindred spirits traveling along with me on this sober journey.

We are not cured from alcoholism or drug addiction. But we do have this daily reprieve, which can bring us a happy, joyous and free life—if we work for it. One day at a time, my life is getting better. I’ve moved beyond temporary relief from something definitely lousy into something consistently pleasant and sometimes even wonderful. Amen to that!