That Contract Thing

I know I've read the April 28th entry from Voices of Recovery before. I'm sure of it! I'm also quite sure it never grabbed me like it did this morning, talking of the contract of the 3rd step. Now, contracts I know! So, let's see how this goes.

County of My County

State of Texas

Know all persons by these presents:

That we, Higher Power, hereinafter referred to as "God," being the party of the first part not because of the offer/acceptance order but because of being here way first (and also having first extended the offer formalized by this contract), and Compulsive Overeater, hereinafter referred to as "OAStepper," do hereby agree, accept, confirm, commit to this agreement, pact, covenant, arrangement, and bond.

OAStepper hereby, based on contingent promises made by God, does offer herself to God, the terms of the agreement being that God may build with her and do with her as God may choose. The terms "build with me" and "do with me" shall mean the following, which is exemplary and not a comprehensive lists of the possibilities:

o place OAStepper in positions in which her courage is nonexistent, in which she is forced to trust God to bring her through.

o demand of OAStepper a purity and freedom from substances such as sugar, frozen concoctions, confectioneries, sugar-free substitutes for any of the above, the freedom being such that her mind is clear and her ability to follow God's will be unimpaired.

o while "build with me" suggests dignity, worthiness, contribution, "do with me" allows activities in which OAStepper sees no merit and in which she may feel depreciated, disdained, or cheapened.

o OAStepper acknowledges lack of control, lack of the ability to direct the proper usefulness in the building with or doing with.

o OAStepper not only acknowledges the called-for activities may be base but also accepts the idea they could be high-profile, glorified, with hundreds/thousands/gulp-millions! of people looking at her. She acknowledges she does not have the right to turn these activities down any more than she does the ignoble ones.

o OAStepper acknowledges that she's more usable when not wasting time, that she should do the "next right thing" like she tells others to do.

o OAStepper acknowledges she has only the right to seek to know God's will for her life as it may affect the current moment or that part of the future necessary for her actions in the current moment, and she further has the right to seek God's assistance in obtaining the power to carry that out.

It is agreed that in order to fulfill the terms and conditions of this contract, God will relieve OAStepper of the bondage of self in order that OAStepper may meet the requirements for her part of this contract. This is not a right inherent in her offering herself for building/doing, and she has no right to demand the bondage be removed in any specified way which is a bother and/or hindrance to her, but she is willing for it to happen contingent on that removal of bondage facilitating the betterment of the condition-understanding-growth of other persons.

God further agrees to remove the difficulties of OAStepper, for a part of the commitment of OAStepper in this agreement is to bear witness to those she would like to help, that witness being a declaration and demonstration of God's Power, his Love and the Way of Life made possible by this contractual agreement. In circumstances where removal of such difficulties will facilitate the other persons' understanding and accepting of that Power/Love/Way of Life, God will remove them, again, not for the convenience or to meet the desires of OAStepper.

OAStepper understands this is a Suzerain/Vassal contract, not one between equals, and she hereby relinquishes all desires to demand a full partnership interest in the decision-making.

In the event of breach of this contract by OAStepper, she will immediately forfeit peace, serenity, security, love, joy, and self-esteem and will become the vassal of such edibles and commodities as once dominated her existence. She will potentially forfeit her ability ever to find her way back to the contractual relationship, having seen many others baffled by the path they once walked having disappeared to their vision or at least their ability to navigate it. She is aware that simply accepting the idea that a temporary waiver from this contract might be granted is folly and a self-fulfilling prophesy, though the temporary part of that equation may not be.

In the event of a breach of this contract by God, the world/universe/creation will immediately terminate and implode to nothingness.

Signed and entered this the 3rd day of May, 2010 by the parties herebefore named.