The last couple weeks of December I was ruminating about 2022. Our family had dealt with major medical issues and moving to assisted living quarters, a 100% transition of our lives. Throughout the arduous and often emotional work to make this move, we had reminders from our daughter to seek the Will of our Higher Power for directions as we walked this path.

Then, after all this, the other day, I prayed for a “better 2023.” I am ashamed of myself. How could we have had a better year, for through our Higher Power’s love and guidance, we did it without coming apart as a family and in fact seemed unconsciously to use this emotional project to build stronger relations.

I’m most ashamed because my 85-year-old ego quietly suggested, “Pray for something better in 2023.” Did I thereby turn my prayer into God’s shopping list? But what could be better than this family’s positive transition following our Higher Power’s guidance?

Can I just blame this request for a “better” 2023 on human nature, the one that says. “I always want something better?” Again, no, I cannot. So, what’s OK to say about 2023? Crudely stated, we can and do express a profound appreciation to our Higher Power for His guidance. But is that it?

Puzzled, I turned to the Big Book, for where else would we followers of Bill W. and Dr. Bob look for aid, and there it was at p. 87. In our prayers, we are to ask “what our next step should be,” and for whatever we need “to take care of problems.” We ask for “freedom from self-will,” never asking for “our own selfish ends” and making no requests “for ourselves only.” The Big Book continues at p. 88:  for we are “to remind ourselves we are no longer running the show.” And for me, perhaps, the most important aspect of this discussion is to realize we are not trying to “arrange life to suit ourselves.”

So accordingly, my revised prayer for 2023 is merely, “Guide me in all things to seek thy Will and strength to carry it out.” and yes, I am not trying to “run the whole show.”

We see yet another non-alcoholic situation not attributed to our old alcoholic living but to a higher calling and reliance on our relationship with our Higher Power whom I call God.

 JRA, Traditions Assisted Living, Lebanon, Ohio