Today I heard 2 times the same information from different sources.  I take this as a sign that God is tapping me on the shoulder and trying to tell me something.

I want to thank everyone who has given me the privilege of listening to your 5th step. It has been an awe-inspiring experience.  I  truly believe that God is guiding us to seek His Truth.

While I was listening to someone’s 5th step, the person asked: “What do we do with the other qualities that are listed on the grid?”

So, when I was doing my 5th step with the person who took me through the B2B, we did not discuss the other character defects.

My sharing partner asked me: “What or who are you resentful towards right now?”

Then she asked: “What fears are you experiencing right now?”

Finally she asked: “Have you harmed anyone?  Do you think that you owe an amends?”

After that, she asked: “Are you willing to forgive the person towards whom you are feeling resentful?

Are you willing, with prayer to forgive the person?

Are you willing to turn over your fears and have faith in God?

Are you willing to make amends for the harms that you have done?

Are you willing to have God removed the defects of character that are blocking you from Him?”

There was no discussion about the other defects that are listed on the step 4 inventory sheet.

Today, I called her and I asked for feedback about doing a 5th step the B2B way, and about the other liabilities listed.

I asked her:  “Do the liabilities apply to the person towards whom we are feeling resentful, fearful or harmed?”

She said: “There is no right or wrong way to do a 4th step.  It can be done with the liabilities as they apply to the specific resentment, fear or harm; or, they can be addressed in a more general way: where and to whom have you been dishonest, selfish, full of false pride……?”

She said: “It depends on where you are at this moment.  The purpose of the 4th step is to remove the blockages to God caused by self will.  The goal is to rid ourselves of our selfishness and self-seeking behaviors which block us off from Him.”

Earlier this week, I tried to contact the group who wrote the step guide AA The Original Way.  I must share his response:

Thank you for your interest.  We use the guide for the step work. It takes us through steps 1 thru 9 in about half a day.

The instructions are pretty simple. We write all the names first. Then do the columns. Whatever feels right is fine. It’s about seeing the damage of Self will and aspiring to God’s Will.

Never let it be said that God is not communicating with each and every one of us continuously on a daily basis. He is, it is just that we are usually so wrapped up in ourselves that we usually can’t hear Him.