For centuries, horses were a very important means of transportation and other uses in society and business.
Before purchasing a horse, the Buyer would make a physical inspection of the horse, including the horse’s mouth to determine the health of the horse.
If the horse was a gift, then there was no need to look in the horse’s mouth. Just accept the horse “as is”. Thus the statement was created, “Don’t look a gift horse in the mouth”.
The Gift of AA is like the Gift Horse. No need for a trial run or interviewing every AA member to determine their success with AA and if the results are real as advertised.
I just needed to look at the AA Fellows at my first AA meeting, a Men’s Stag, and determined that the men seemed healthy, happy, very sober, and serious about the AA Program and were not a glum lot.
I had never seen anything like that in my life of 74 years. I didn’t know how they solved their drinking problem.
I accepted that the “AA Gift Horse” was there and for me to hop on, without looking in AA’s Mouth, yell “Getty Up” and gallop on the AA Path to sobriety and a better life.
Soon I learned I could not purchase the “AA Gift”, at any price. Action to work the AA Program is the only price. The “AA Gift” was and will always be given without monetary compensation. Only a verbal agreement to “go to any lengths” to achieve sobriety and then to give the opportunity to another suffering alcoholic to work for and receive the “AA Gift” is suggested.
With our Higher Power’s help, we can avoid the dangerous, deadly Bucking Alcohol Bronco.
We can hop on the AA Gift Horse holding our AA Gift and ride to our destiny of Sobriety, and be Happy, Healthy, Sober, Spiritual, Joyous and Free.
James Patrick M
Early Sobriety Group 