~ SERVICE ~
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Give and it shall be given unto you;
good measure, pressed down, shaken
together, and running over.
The Bible
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An important lesson in life is that in
order to get something we need or want,
we first have to give some of it
away. If we want friends, we have to be
a friend. If we want to be loved, we
have to love. If we want recovery, we
have to help others recover.
Then we begin to "get it." The tingling
excitement of hope is aroused in us. A
source of power to live is discovered
inside of ourselves.
Giving service is as important a part of
recovery as abstinence or working the
Steps. It includes everything from
organizing materials at a face-to-face
meeting to hosting meetings online. It's
sharing our problems and our solutions
on the loops as well as sponsoring. Just
as someone once said that love is
nothing until you give it away, it seems
that recovery is incomplete until it is
shared by giving service to the program
or to individuals. It's remarkable how
service brings us closer together,
allows us to make friends, helps to end
our isolation and gives that feeling of
self-worth and confidence that we so
desperately need. Simply put, service is
as much a lifesaver to us as it is to
those we reach out and touch.
I want to be a giver to the program so
it is always available to those who will
come after seeking their freedom from
this dread disease.
ONE DAY AT A TIME . . .
I strive to give love, support, comfort,
cheer and encouragement, knowing it will
come back to me pressed down, shaken
together and running over.