In our big book on page 60, we see a simple sentence whose depth is often overlooked, even by well-healed alcoholics. " That probably no human power could have relieved our alcoholism."
What does this mean? Let's ask the question of what human power is: What is a church--a bunch of humans, what is a psychologist--a human, what is a doctor--a human, what is a court--an institution of humans, what is a treatment center--a group of humans, what is an AA/NA/CA group--humans, what is a nation or for the matter all the people in the world--just a lot of humans and human institutions. They can't put an alcoholic together again.
So what is it that puts us back together? A power that is GREATER than human. That pretty much rules out doorknobs, chairs, and lightbulbs. Now, let's look at the depth of what this infers. When the alcoholic has recovered because his Higher Power has entered his life and heart. It happens in such a way that it is beyond what human power could have done. There is a part of this person that is in fact no longer human. but a miraculous proof of a living Creator residing within the heart of the person. In a nutshell, if you have recovered you are a new creature that has entered the world of the spirit, and you are quite different from other humans.
On the other hand, if you are one of these people who have just stopped drinking and using drugs which happens all the time. For a reference, I'll direct your attention to the story about the young alcoholic man who at thirty stopped drinking until he was fifty-five. So, we know there are many in our rooms that have done the same, they have just quit drinking. But they haven't treated the disease and become new creatures, the true miracle of spirit. As such, these people can be easily recognized because they have symptoms that don't exist in recovered people. Now we are not saints, so that is not what I'm getting at. Yet, a person who has not had a spiritual awakening seems, as our book says "is almost always in collision with something or somebody." Therefore, you will see this self-will seething from some people, and it is easy to spot, they are gossiping, arguing, complaining, condemning, and criticizing i.e in collision with someone or something all the time--those people are not recovered.
So one can ask, do we want what the program offers or just to be without drink or drug. If we do, then we get something more precious than one can express effectively in words. That is why we call it a new freedom and new happiness because for us that have experienced it it is a NEW fresh life. The freedom is one we have never before known, thus it is new and we have a happiness of a sort that is new--a new freedom and a new happiness.
The program is by far the most amazing set of tools one can pick up in this life. And, these tools can do what all the King's horses and all the King's men cannot. Love all of you, may many of God's sweet blessings be upon each and every one of you.