God, the "Great Iconoclast."
  • Alma Turner
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Step 6: Were entirely ready to have God remove these defects of character.
Principle: Willingness


Am I now entirely ready to have God take them all? Am I willing to let them go absolutely? 
In my first few major inventories and from living sober, I had a longer and longer list of defects, e.g. 
  • approval-seeking, jealousy, selfishness, needing to be right, vanity, self-obsession, suspiciousness, manipulation, pride, sulking, retaliation, gluttony, dishonesty, indifference, pettiness, impatience, perfectionism, arrogance, resistance, bias, self-hate, inattention to community, entitlement, exercising white privilege, cruel criticism, intellectual laziness, stealing, infidelity, sexual immorality, interrupting, irrational fidelity to false beliefs and paradigms, dominating conversations, not listening, inconsideration.... the lists go on and on, ... numbing out with food, rigidity, being over-controlling what I eat, ... 
​
Here are twelve examples of willingness prayers my sponsor gave me during the fifth step in 2016:
I pray for the willingness:
  • to listen with my heart and mind.
  • to look at my relationship with you God as the primary source of my self-esteem. 
  • to feel true love and tolerance for myself and where I am on my path right now. 
  • to feel true love and tolerance for others and where they are on their path right now. 
  • to be centripetal à as opposed to centrifugal.
  • to practice unconditional love of self and my brothers and sisters. 
  • to let go of judgement of self and others.
  • to know in my heart that my sponsees are not a reflection of me, good or bad. 
  • to remember that I am powerless, without control.
  • to remember that the more judgmental people are of others, the more they are cruel to themselves. 
  • to protect others through maintaining anonymity, to protect those who have no words. 
  • to make room on the Ark for all the animals – the peacocks, cows, sparrows, spiders, snakes, deer, lions, and salmon.​




And my more recent willingness prayers from 2020: 
  • I pray for the willingness to release pride and gently embrace humility and anonymity.
  • I pray for the willingness to release criticism and embrace fierce unconditional love for self and others.
  • I pray for the willingness to release fear and embrace trusting reliance. 
  • I pray for the willingness to release doubt and embrace the truth of steadfast love and healing. 
Picture
This photograph was taken as I was leaving the Sea of Galilee and heading back to Jerusalem. The small touring van had given us a couple of hours to meander and reflect within view of where the Sermon on the Mount was delivered, where Peter walked on water, and Legion's demons raged.
Step 7: Surrender
  • Alma Turner
    • Alma Turner
    • Site Overview
    • Alma's Blessings
  • 12 Steps
    • Step 1: Humility >
      • Step One Questions
    • Step 2: Hope
    • Step 3: Faith
    • Step 4: Honesty
    • Step 5: Trust
    • Step 6: Willingness
    • Step 7: Surrender
    • Step 8: Forgiveness
    • Step 9: Justice >
      • Amend White to Black
    • Step 10: Perseverance >
      • Fear Watch
    • Step 11: Contact
    • Step 12: Service
  • J
    • Brown or Black
    • Teacher
    • Son of Man
    • Activist
    • High Priest
    • Innocent
    • Lynched
    • Alive
    • Sayings >
      • Sayings 1-3
      • Sayings 4-6
      • Sayings 7-9
      • Sayings 10-12
      • Sayings 13-15
      • Sayings 16-18
      • Sayings 19-21
      • Sayings 22-24
      • Sayings 25-27
      • Sayings 28-30
      • Sayings 31-33
      • Sayings 34-36
      • Sayings 37, 38, 39
      • Sayings 40, 41, 42
      • Sayings 43, 44, 45
      • Sayings 46, 47, 48
      • Sayings 49, 50, 51
      • Sayings 52, 53, 54
      • Sayings 55, 56, 57
      • Sayings 58, 59, 60
      • Sayings 61, 62, 63
      • Sayings 64, 65, 66
      • Sayings 73, 74, 75
      • Sayings 76, 77, 78
      • Sayings 100, 101, 102
      • Sayings 103, 104, 105
      • Sayings 106, 107, 108
      • Sayings 109, 110, 111
      • Sayings 112, 113, 114
  • Poems, Prayers, Music
    • I Stand at the Door by Sam Shoemaker
    • The Guest House by Rumi
    • The Invitation by Oriah
    • Poems
    • 2021 Poems 1/1 - 2/6
    • Injustice Poems
    • Parables and Songs
    • clay haiku
    • Big Book Prayers
    • Prayers by Me
    • Music >
      • Roberta Flack
      • Marvin Gaye
  • more
    • The Gospel of Thomas
    • Genesis >
      • High Priest
      • Jacob is Israel.
    • Psalms >
      • Psalms 23, 46, 91, 139
      • Psalms 1 and 32
    • Isaiah >
      • Isaiah 30
      • Isaiah 54
    • Lectio Divina
    • Fasting
    • Reading
    • 12 White Steps
    • The Circle and Triangle >
      • The Symbol
    • Blog
    • God is Love.
    • Frederick Douglas