COMMUNICATING OUR LEGACIES: RECOVERY, UNITY, SERVICE
I could go on and on about all I was so privileged to be a part of the SENY Convention in March.I will try to consolidate the topics and things I heard into a shortened version of my commitment to be the channel of info to and from my group, so I don’t make this about me.
Service has many sides and effects to it, not the least of which, is the commitment to do for others, what was so freely done for us (make that ME)
But it also has the self-introspection aspect of it that is so much a part of the first legacy, recovery, the balance of the three legs of the sides of the triangle brings about the traditions, (unity) and the concepts (service), As I heard repeatedly this weekend that sometimes balance in AA and in our lives only comes about, after it’s realized that we are unbalanced and come to the awareness (recovery) that this is so. Sometimes this comes through the Spirit of rotation, the suggestions of a service sponsor or the experiences of how our personal lives are becoming, or still are, unbalanced. Or sometimes that balance is just that elusive quantity that needs to be practiced on a daily basis. There were many examples of how service can aid the recovery process and vice versa, one of many I was privileged to hear came from a female AAer.
She shared that while she was away during one of her service commitments, a close family member passed away suddenly and unexpectantly. She knew intuitively that her recovery awareness directed her to place her recovery first, to GROW through this life event ,so she could go, THROUGH this life event, connected through keeping her service commitment. Her unity allowed her to share with, and accept suggestions, from others. Grieving she shared, Why would GOD take this person from my life, and she heard, GOD doesn’t take people, he receives people, GOD’s plan is his, not ours.
Yours in Service
Lew C, GSR