WHO'S DRIVING THE BUS?
This is not an original question, I have a recovering friend who asks this question regularly. I operate my life based on questions like this that I call bumper stickers. I rely on these bumper stickers rattling around in my head to make decisions instead of relying on my ever changing moods and feelings.
The "if it feels good do it", "life in the fast lane" and the "fuck it" philosophies are self serving and usually lead to disaster and emptiness. For many years I lived out these philosophies and they did lead to disaster and emptiness.
I discovered I had based my choices on my feelings and most of these foolish philosophies. This was obviously not working so I had come up with a new plan. As I yielded my will over to something bigger then myself, shut my mouth so I could listened and learned to take suggestions I discovered the power of bumper stickers.
I learned most of them in the rooms of AA, AA literature and the Bible. However Zig Ziglar, Will Rogers, Roger Waters, Oscar Wilde, Dirty Harry (Clint Eastwood), Thomas Sowel, Rush Limbaugh, C.S. Lewis, and many more have given me a few but only if they are wise and true.
Bumper stickers are based on things that are true, so they do not change like my ever changing moods.I was recently on a tour of Old Jerusalem in Israel. There were many religious men reading aloud their repetitive daily prayers. Jewish worship uses specific readings from the Torah to celebrate holy days and their children memorize prayers, history and stories. All through Israel there were constant reminders of historical places and events everywhere.
I'm certain men like this are tempted by thoughts and feelings to choose self serving behaviors. However regularly pondering the wisdom of the Torah may overcome the majority of their fears, jealousy, hatred and lust. I'm not implying they do not fall short but because their hearts and minds are being exposed to this wisdom even if they do fail, at a minimum they know they are wrong which causes them to soon repent and make things right again.
There are many who enter the rooms of AA, some leave because they are not ready, some have short term success and some pile up decades of sobriety but all have the ability to take back control and crash and burn. Those who have absorbed enough of the program do return to begin again. One meeting usually ruins all future drinking for a real alcoholic but they do know where to find the answer.
Yielding control, filling our heads with bumper stickers and sticking with there herd. The driving the bus illustration is a simple way to say yield control to a higher power. I have an additional view because I am a Christian. I trust that from the day I was baptized into God's covenant I received his spirit into my mind and heart. I also believe because I consumed his words this same spirit now lives in my head.
I'm not a snake handler, tongue speaking or faith healer. I do not say these things don't happen, they just don't happen to me. I do however look back on my life since that day and like the footstep prayer I have never been alone.
In spite of His Spirit mingling with my spirit I'm still required to expose myself to his words. I repeatedly read and study to put these words in my mind. Many of my bumper sticker truths are from the scriptures but I think these truths are expressed in other ways and through other sources. In AA those who do not recognize Jesus as their higher power do stay sober and experience serenity.
In this blog I am free to share what works for me. Out of respect for the traditions I don't talk this way in an AA meeting. Alcoholics Anonymous has one mission, to help other alcoholics to achieve sobriety.
I share a similar faith with many other members but to the new person and some long time members quoting scripture may not be helpful.
Who is driving the bus? says in a non religious way to allow God to take control. Many of these simple illustrations describe a deeper truth. To save a suffering soul from the horror of addiction is certainly God's will. If that person continues on seeking more truth they may open themselves up to the God if my understanding.
My only job in AA is to have my hand out to anyone who asks me how I got sober. I simply yield my will over to God (let Him drive the bus) and live my faith openly. I only need to be ready to give them an answer as to why I have hope and peace in my heart in the midst of the chaos of life.
