“The God of my understanding wants me for my availability as well as for my abilities. When I become willing to act on faith, God helps me create miracles for myself and assist others in creating their own.” -Hope for Today April 10
“Participation is the key to harmony.” -Concept Four
I had the opportunity to participate in interviews this week. We need a new teacher in our department and I was asked to be a part of interviewing candidates. Although I have been teaching for 30 years, this was the first time I have ever sat in on an actual interview where I wasn’t the one needing the job!
I was assigned a few questions to ask. But most of what I did was listen attentively. I really got to experience gratitude during these interviews. First, I was so grateful that I have a good job. It can be very difficult to search for a job. And then to interview with many people sitting around the table taking notes and you in the spotlight—that takes an incredible amount of courage.
Although I was a participant in these interviews and was able to give my input, I am not in charge of the outcome. This is good practice for me—having a voice but not needing to get my own way. I could contribute and accept the group conscience.
God wants my participation. My availability. In my programs, this has meant contributing in meetings wherever and whenever needed. Stepping up to chair when the chairwoman is sick. Taking a service position even when I am unsure of the time commitment. Sharing the message of hope—of a solution—when speaking. Signing up to clean the club for a month because the club has a tighter budget now and cannot afford a cleaning service. God wants both my availability and my abilities.
I am definitely powerless over another person’s drinking, but I am not powerless over the choices I make and my ability to change my thinking. And changing my thinking has always occurred through action. There’s a saying in AA: I can’t think my way into right actions, but I can act my way into right thinking. That action is learning and practicing the Twelve Steps.
I have started going to a ton of Al-Anon meetings lately. This simple commitment to action has really helped me feel so much better about my current troubles. I have found a simple solution. And these meetings need help. I was able to be of service to a group new to me twice last week. I volunteered to chair on Monday. My friend in Al-Anon was astonished when I told him this was a brand-new meeting for me and that I had already signed up to chair. The topic was from the Opening Our Hearts—Transforming Our Losses grief book. Not many wanted to share. That is okay. I was able to be successful by suiting up and showing up anyway. I am grateful today that I can share openly about my experience with grief due to this disease. Not everyone can. God had me chair the meeting that really needed me.
Two days later, the normal host of our meeting had to leave the meeting in our hands. There was a tornado warning in her area and she had to get to the basement. Believe it or not, I was the one with the most experience at that meeting—after a week—so I knew what to do. It was crazy! But God had my back the entire time and we had another great meeting. The woman who was chairing that meeting was very grateful for my help.
Participation is truly the key to harmony.
I have been saying yes quite a bit lately to sponsorship. Yes to my own sponsor and yes to the women who ask me to take them through the Twelve Steps. By saying yes to Step Twelve, I am creating my own miracle. The miracle of seeing myself recover when I was so lost in another person’s disease—and seeing the power of recovery open the eyes and heart of another suffering woman.
I am not powerless. I am not hopeless. I do have the ability to change. My change in attitude is changing my heart and my thinking. And that new perspective is changing my whole world.
Participation! So much of life is about showing up. Great post.