I had always heard, “Service work helps you work your program,” but never believed it until I did service work! Now I say that slogan to others. I try to keep two jobs of service work going to help my own program.

About two years ago a position as Intergroup Treasurer became available and I met the sobriety requirements, volunteered and was accepted to do the job. As part of the job, I had to check the mailbox, sort mail, get items to the Secretary, and pay bills. For one-and-a-half years, the mailbox was at a downtown Post Office that closed at 6:00 p.m. After I got a $100 parking ticket and a $50 parking ticket — “Oh, I’ll just park here quickly and run in” — I began a lesson in acceptance. I work about 35 miles from the city, so getting the mail meant driving through highway traffic, thick downtown traffic, and usually a 15 to 30 minute hunt for a parking spot, followed often by a lengthy walk to the Post Office. I remember one day making the journey and getting a parking place to find only one piece of mail. Nevertheless, my negative attitude passed when I walked back to find my car ticket-free!

From that day I was more at peace when traffic was hectic on the highway or wild in the city. Acceptance became a comfort and a practice in doing my part of the program. Sometimes the box was crammed with mail, sometimes empty, but it was being checked and the work was being done. I gained a measure of humility as I came to realize I did the work of managing the money while the group conscience of Intergroup made the money decisions. If I thought “we” ought to do something, I brought it up for “our” decision. The submission to the Higher Power and his presence in the group conscience gave me a trust in the Traditions that I had not had in my program before.

About a year ago I accepted the responsibility of being Secretary of my home meeting. I had been arriving late and I knew service work would make me be on time. I had spent the last year surrendering over and over judgements and criticisms about our last Secretary. In the job, I realized this role had much more to it than I imagined. Reality tempered all my opinions of the previous Secretary. There have been many lessons and challenges to practice the program in this role.

I would like to share the gifts, or graces, if you will. As I said, I felt that taking on the job would make me come to the meeting on time, and it did! Due to my health condition, I need to have a meal between my work and a meeting. What I found was I would put the meeting first. So when I left work, all my choices about eating were subordinate to the meeting.

I have been in the rooms for eleven years and sober for the past four. It seems that in the role of Secretary, I have been graced with being able to listen in a whole new way. It’s like I can click myself off, and by that I mean not be distracted by self-needs and worries and thoughts. I can focus instead on a member’s share, all of it. I can really pay attention. In part, I have to pay attention as the Secretary, but being Secretary gives me so much more. I want to take this ability home with me and it will come in time and with God’s help.

The best grace and biggest surprise is the gift of humility. I had observed several fellow SA’s take an ego ride on leading meetings and I knew I would be up to the same. But it has not been an ego thing. I have had to surrender my ego. I have also been able to draw on good experiences of other SA’s I respect and their examples of leading meetings. I have a sense of serving others when I read the meeting format. In spite of my shyness or my being unsure if the unfamiliar face is a newcomer, I can speak up and ask.

If I am unsure what the procedure is, I have the humility to ask the group. They keep me on track. I do not have to be Mr. Know-It-All, and the humility is quite nice. It is such a gift to be able to serve and dispense with the fears of authority. I have to take charge at times, but as a servant, I can be peaceful and yet set limits. God is helping me and gracing me. All these gains from service work have only deepened my program and my working the Steps. I am grateful for service work!