10th Step Symptoms – It’s Not Rocket Science

Madeline, age five, was outside trimming leaves off the bushes with her little friends. They were within view of their mommies and were being allowed to use the kid scissors. One of the adults looking on saw Maddie open the scissors up and place them as though she was about to give herself a new and quite extreme hairdo. Before Maddie had a chance to take action on her long blond wavy locks the adult onlooker called out to Maddie’s mom. Maddie was immediately corrected. She took the scissors down from her hair, rolled her eyes as if to say, “just kidding mom” and went on playing.

One night, about five days later, after being put to bed Maddie wandered into her mommy’s room. She announced herself by saying, “We need to talk about something Mom.”

Her weary mother replied, “What do we need to talk about Maddie?”

“Well, I really was going to cut my hair that day and I’m feeling really bad about it in my heart and I can’t stop thinking about it in my head."

Step 10 challenges us to, “Continue to take personal inventory and when we are wrong promptly admit it.” Sometimes at the end of the day I’m not exactly sure what things need to be set right or what amends need to be made. Madeline’s words to her mother are instructive to me. It’s not rocket science. There are signs or symptoms that 10th Step work needs to be done. A symptom is, an indication, evidence, or a sign (Merriam-Webster Dictionary).

All we really need to do each day is ask ourselves this question. “Is there anything that, ‘I’m feeling really bad about in my heart and I can’t stop thinking about in my head?’”
If so we can be assured that it is the work of the Holy Spirit. His work is to signal or reveal to us, in our minds and in our hearts our need to take care of business.

Thanks for being my teacher Madeline! You are five and this year I’ll be fifty-five. The only thing I can contribute to what you taught me is that neither of us has to go five days feeling bad in our heart and bothered in our mind. We can take a daily look at just what’s going on and then take immediate action.

By Nannette W.
Posted Monday, March 9, 2009

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