Step Seven:

Humbly asked Him to remove our shortcomings.

The AA Big Book has this to say about Step Seven:

How It Works

When ready, we say something like this: "My Creator, I am now willing that you should have all of me, good and bad. I pray that you now remove from me every single defect of character which stands in the way of my usefulness to you and my fellows. Grant me strength, as I go out from here, to do your bidding. Amen." We have then completed Step Seven.
-A.A. Big Book p.76

Notice the Big Book basically gives us a prayer? Yeah, I wanted more too!

But then I realized, I need to shut up and pray!

Prayer is one of those things that I don't do well. Well, I used to. I have felt my heart thrum with the beat of something Greater and More Powerful than I will ever be. I was raised Catholic, and was very influenced by my grandmother and grandfather (whom I have discussed here) whose favorite prayer was the Rosary. The last time I said the Rosary was at my grandmother's wake, and I was lulled and comforted by the words as well as the feeling she would have been so happy people were praying with her one last time.

The key word here is HUMBLY.

In Step Six, I had to think long and hard about why I was clinging to my character defects, and how they are serving me. When I realized that they were doing nothing but slowing me down and distancing me from what and where I need to be, I became less willing to cling to them.

This week I have been looking at another character defect of mine - depression.
How does depression serve me?
Does it get me out of work? No. But does it tell me when I need to stop and take care of myself? Yes.
It also teaches me that I am powerless over my emotions.
But feelings are NOT facts.
So am I ready to let it go?

Having lived this long, I have to scream YES.
Because if I don't let it go, it is not going to let me go.

And having lived through this, I know that I need to ask Something Bigger, Better and More Powerful than me to take it away.
Please.

And I need to do this humbly. As if I could reasonably be anything but.

So here is my 7th Step Prayer:

Sweet HP, I am now willing that you should have all of me, good and bad. I pray that you now remove from me every single defect of character which stands in the way of my usefulness to you and yours. Grant me strength, as I go out from here, to do your wise wants, not mine. Amen.