UPDATE: “God Works In Small Towns, Too” (ESSAY, June 2001)

Hi, I wanted to share what’s going on in North Idaho. Our meeting (we named it Monday Miracles), turned two in September, 2002. At times it has been very challenging to my sobriety to bring SA to my town. Whenever I thought I was doing it, boy did things get bad (in the realms of my mind). I would want to change someone else’s recovery; ick! There’s a program for that, isn’t there? Or someone would praise me to the group and FEED MY EGO. (I got practice on setting boundaries!) There were/are times when attendance is small. I am very grateful there has been one other person committed to showing up to Monday’s meeting. Recently our attendance has doubled and tripled.

About a year ago, God prompted me to share my story and to have a speakers meeting once a month. A few weeks after this prompting there was a newcomer from a bigger town who could only attend night meetings. There was interest with others so, alas, a Friday meeting started. It was hit and miss with that meeting for a while. The other person started a meeting in his own town, but still came up often.

Well, with our recent increase in membership, someone else has taken the key for Friday’s meeting!! I can’t tell you how much feels lifted from my shoulders with that.

There have been a lot of two-people meetings. I have the opportunity to learn non-romantic intimacy with the opposite sex during this time. That is a blessing, and is what I feel a part of the program is about (along with intimacy with God).

I have also been blessed with getting to know women in the fellowship here. There have been two other women that at different times have been coming regularly. Often times the women outnumber or at least match the men. Once there was a meeting that was four men and two women, and did I feel strange! It helped me to not take for granted the wonderful gift God has given. God does indeed work in small towns.