I Am Responsible

With Gratitude May 21

“I am responsible, when anyone, anywhere reaches out for help, I want the hand of A.A. to always be there, and for that I am responsible.”

-A.A. Responsibility Statement

What would we do without our meetings? If no one stepped up to be of service, the doors of AA would not be open: for the newcomer seeking sobriety—or for the person who has been dry for years seeking help from the Twelve Steps. I am certainly responsible to do my part to keep AA going. I am responsible.

However, I am not responsible for doing everything on my own. I am only responsible for my part. I learned this by doing my inventory. I always thought I was responsible for everyone else’s tasks and everyone else’s feelings. This over sense of responsibility is a character defect. If a meeting does not have enough people willing to serve as chair, do the treasury, be the secretary, or to speak, then the meeting is not self-supporting. No one person is expected to carry the entire meeting on his or her own.

I can certainly do my part. If I really enjoy a meeting, I can try to hand some of the responsibilities to other trusted members. If that works, great, and if not, then it may be time to let go.

Today’s Prayer

God, remind me of my responsibility to the program and to myself today. I am only expected to try to be of service. Whether I am successful or not in service, I know you are happy that I tried.

This reading is a part of my daily reader, With Gratitude, available on Amazon. With Gratitude is 366 daily devotions of my experience, strength, and hope in working the A.A. and Al-Anon programs for many years. It is available on Amazon as a paperback ($17.25) or Kindle ($15.00 or free with Kindle Unlimited) book. Thank you for supporting my writing! Now have a great weekend serving God and each other. -Jamey M.