Weekly Topic -- February 28th - March 6 -- "Service Work"

[bluidkiti]

Do you volunteer on your own to do service work or do you wait for others to volunteer you or are you ok with others doing everything?

Do you feel service work helps your recovery or not? Explain why or why not please?

[sioux]

Dear Bluikditi it is good to see you here. Odd that we can sometimes dervie comfort in "sameness." You are a constant source that I am finding to be a pleasant surprise for me this morning.

When I got sober I was pressured into doing service work that I could not reasonably do. I had little ones that needed me, and a great sponsor that taught me priorities; taking care of new family and sharing in a general way at meetings was enough. I can't tell you how many people I have seen over the years that have done service work up to the moment they took their first fatal drink. She did not want me to get overwhelmed.

Further, I learned that service work was not necessarily to keep me sober, but to keep my AA community alive. Armed with the 12 x 12 and having read the 12th Step I learned that there are so many ways we do service work, and limitations on what we can reasonably do as individuals to make unity a priority.

First I stay sober. I go to meetings, chair when asked, and focus on recovery topics, the Steps, Traditions, Principles of the Program.

I try to be a good AA member; not bad mouthing other groups or AA as a whole, but try to be encouraging.

Sometimes I am vulnerable and I allow others to see that people in the middle of the road of recovery are not perfect, and sometimes, I am still baffled as my road gets more narrow, and my sanity more precious.

I sponsor women that I believe I can help work the Steps. I have made coffee and edit a newsletter carrying the message with integrity.

I try to share in a general way. I try to thwart gossip and dissention.

And, I fall miserably short on all matters, but I keep putting one foot in front of the other, making my amends when necessary, saving my ass instead of my face. I keep coming back. I try to be a constant like bluidkiti.

[janbear]

When i came into recovery i was encouraged to work the steps, make meetings, develop a relationship with God and help others. I made a lot of coffee and passed out books for a very long time. Over time i grew more comfortable in helping others one on one. Service Work, i was taught, was part of the 12-step program. I am thankful of the way i was taught because it makes me feel my life is little more well-rounded. I had to learn to step up and be a part of, and when i did i discovered it to be a blessing as long as i continued keeping my conscience contact with God and not forget to work the steps and maintain my relationships with family.

In the AA clubhouse here this is on the wall:

I am Responsible....
When anyone
anywhere
reaches out for help
I want the hand of AA to be there
and for that
I am Responsible

[francie21805]

I volunteer "now", but when I was first getting sober, I had to be ask or told. And I was "told" after I was about a week sober. This is where I learned to be a part of and how I began to give back. Sometimes, if I see a need I just do it.

Today, I believe I need to stay in service, because, for me, it has enhanced my recovery and for sure helped to keep me sober. I also believe that a lot of my growth has been due to service.

I've also learned not to call it "Service Work". I still have some problems with that word. http://bestsmileys.com/lol/4.gif

[Friend_of_Bill_W]

My name is Mark . . . and I'm a Recovered Alcoholic.

Being the low-bottom pig that I was . . . I needed to be told things like - "If you don't get your butt down to the local detox and carry The Messasge of AA, someone will be down there carrying it to you!"

I had been through detoxes 10 times, but rarely went there to try to help others. No wonder I didn't stAAy sober any considerable period of time! These dAAys I get down there and cAArry This MessAAge to those that still suffer, or certainly should be suffering, a least two or three times a week.

I secretary a Third Step Study on Saturdays, and a Big Book Study on Sundays. I get to meetings to my hand up and share with the group what I Did Today to stay sober. (That would be, about as precisely as possible, what the 164 pages or Manuscript say we do.)

I spend considerable time trying to carry This Message online. I create personalized musical, animated (swf), Re-Birthday greetings, as well as desktop background Medallions for those celebrating AAniversaries, for a couple hundred people a month. Feel free to let me know if I may create one for you or someone special!

I discovered, notice I didn't say "learned", by doing it - that if you be a real alcoholic - Your chances of recovering are pretty slim if you are not putting alcoholics (and others) before your own selfish desires.

Thy Will Be Done!!!

[yukonm]

I am the Intergroup Rep for my homegroup. Our group was without a rep for awhile and it was mentioned in a business meeting that one was needed. It NEVER crossed my mind to volunteer, BUT when asked if I would consider taking the position, I didn't hesitate. I am grateful that God gave me the willingness to accept this position, it has helped my recovery tremedously. By attending the Intergroup meetings, I have widened my circle of AA family and am learning why the Traditions and Concepts are so important to preserving AA as a whole.

[DavidNOLA]

I signed up to chair meetings as soon as I had met the time requirement set by home group.
I hesitated a little when they said I had every Thursday in March so they let me split it. But as it turns out the guy I split with is going offshore to work. So now I get to do them all and am ok with that.
I was a little nervous yesterday but I am feeling that "more is being revealed" feeling.

[bradh]

I was the greeter for my home group for the first year or so of my recovery. It came about this way -

I used to show up to meetings right from work, where I was always dressed in a suit and a tie. If I knew I was attending a meeting, I brought a change of casual clothes to wear.

I would keep the shirt and tie, and pair it with slacks and colorful sneakers. Folks complimented me on my "taste" in clothing, and my sponsor casually suggested to me that it might be a good thing to greet folks at the door, so I did. Little did I know that he could see right through my costume - looking good on the outside, but feeling like crap inside.

The change happened slowly, but I got used to greeting everyone with a smile, a look right in the eyes, and a firm handshake. I started to feel better about myself - perhaps I wasn't the POS that I thought I was. I lost most of my shyness that crippled me most of my life, and led me to drink/drug.

I also got one more benefit, one not expected by me or my sponsor. I met the woman who is now my wife at the door of my home group. I've known her for sixteen years now, and she says she was attracted to me because of the tie and sneakers!
:-)