Moments of Spiritual Awareness

In 1943 when I was led to AA by a minister, I was a bum on Skid Row. For four years I had tried to stay sober. I was agnostic and nothing seemed to work, and in 1947 I found myself up before a Judge again. The Judge was a member of AA, also a friend of mine. He sentenced me to twenty days. I had been arrested in a box car on Remembrance Day, November 11, 1947. When I landed in the jail I said AA had nothing for me, they were all pansy drinkers. Before I was locked up that night one of the guards brought me the big AA Book. He said, "Dunc, one of your friends has been committed to Whitby for two years as a habitual drunk and he says 'maybe this time you can get something out of it.'" I took the AA Book into the cell with me and I opened it at random, and it opened at page 77 and this is what I read, "Resentment is the number one offender. It destroys more alcoholics than anything else. From it stems all forms of spiritual disease. For we have been spiritually sick. When the spiritual malady is overcome, we straighten out, mentally and physically." I dropped the Book on my chest and prayed. For the first time in my life I was sincere. For twenty days and nights I devoured the AA Book. On the third day of December 1947 I was walking up a street looking for a room, when I stopped in my tracks and an inner voice spoke to me and it said, "Dunc, you are free." What a feeling came over me. I felt that an outer shell had been lifted off me and again the voice spoke, "Dunc, you are free"--and by His grace I am free. I am fifteen years old in AA. To those who are finding it tough, may I say to you, "stick and pitch." Don't give up and what He did for me He will for you.