"face" in the Big Book

My incredible behavior in the face of a desperate desire to stop was explained.

Doubtless you are curious to discover how and why, in the face of expert opinion to the contrary, we have recovered from a hopeless condition of mind and body.

To be doomed to an alcoholic death or to live on a spiritual basis are not always easy alternatives to face.

But after a while we had to face the fact that we must find a spiritual basis of life —or else.

But his face falls when we speak of spiritual matters, especially when we mention God, for we have re-opened a subject which our man thought he had neatly evaded or entirely ignored.

In the face of collapse and despair, in the face of the total failure of their human resources, they found that a new power, peace, happiness, and sense of direction flowed into them.

Hence we are at pains to tell why we think our present faith is reasonable, why we think it more sane and logical to believe than not to believe, why we say our former thinking was soft and mushy when we threw up our hands in doubt and said, “We don’t know.’’ When we became alcoholics, crushed by a selfimposed crisis we could not postpone or evade, we had to fearlessly face the proposition that either God is everything or else He is nothing.

As we felt new power flow in, as we enjoyed peace of mind, as we discovered we could face life successfully, as we became conscious of His presence, we began to lose our fear of today, tomorrow or the hereafter.

Though our decision was a vital and crucial step, it could have little permanent effect unless at once followed by a strenuous effort to face, and to be rid of, the things in ourselves which had been blocking us.

We must lose our fear of creditors no matter how far we have to go, for we are liable to drink if we are afraid to face them.

We may lose our position or reputation or face jail, but we are willing.

In thinking about our day we may face indecision.

Why sit with a long face in places where there is drinking, sighing about the good old days.

The foregoing pages (though addressed only to wives) indicate the problems such people may face.

We grow by our willingness to face and rectify errors and convert them into assets.

At the very beginning, the couple ought to frankly face the fact that each will have to yield here and there if the family is going to play an effective part in the new life.

I pointed out that I had had nothing to drink whatever for three years, and this in the face of difficulties that would have made nine out of ten men drink their heads off.

Momentarily we did—then would come oblivion and the awful awakening to face the hideous Four Horsemen—Terror, Bewilderment, Frustration, Despair.

He saw that he would have to face * This refers to Bill’s first visit with Dr. Bob.

Hopelessness was written large on the man’s face as he replied, “Oh, but that’s no use.

selves, and have discovered the joy of helping others to face life again, there will be no stopping until everyone in that town has had his opportunity to recover— if he can and will.