over to the care of god - as I understand him

I was at a conference recently and attended a panel discussion of steps one through six. The three presenters did an incredible job of all 6 steps, but what I keep thinking about is step three: "Made a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of God as we understood Him."

What I liked about the presenter's perspective is this: He compared putting one's will and life into the care of a higher power to putting one's finances into the care of a broker. The broker takes your money and works on your behalf to make your money grow.

The presenter asked, "Now that the broker has the money, is it HIS money? Or is it still your money?"

The audience hummed with, "My money!"

The presenter continued, "So if you take that same idea, but instead of money, make it your will and your life and instead of a broker, make it your higher power, it's the same thing: Whose life is it? Whose will?"

Again the audience agreed, "My life! My will!"

He said, "Exactly! God isn't TAKING your life and will, he's just taking care of it; he's investing, saving, making sure it's well cared-for."

And that was just the best twist on that step. As someone who has sponsored a baker's dozen of women over the years, I've had to respond to newcomers who are afraid of this step.

"What if God decides to make me a scientist? I'm awful at science!" they'd cry.

But God (or the higher power, your higher power, or whatever it is you call it) isn't interested, I don't think, in using us as circus acts; I think God is more interested in using us to help each other.

And if it's only that I feel better thinking that and in the end there's absolutely nothing "out there," so be it. My life will have been better spent -and my heart will have felt more content- believing that.