“THE JOY OF SERVICE” — Many of us start experiencing it for the first time in our lives in early recovery. By coming on time at our home group meetings, helping to set up the room, and sponsoring others. We proceed to helping out at intergroup and regional level, organizing workshops and conventions, translating or proofreading. And then we start doing the same outside the fellowship too: improving our relationships with our children, spouses, parents, colleagues and friends through service.
In this issue read how members from all over the world experience the joy of service by helping out in the fellowship as well as by giving time to their family and work.
If I had to choose one word to describe how I felt for most of my life, I would choose "disconnected." I had a hard time making friends in both kindergarten and school. There were many engaging ways to escape reality—creating stories in my head, adventure books, and video games.
Why am I still in SA? A simple answer to this question could be, “I am here because I have to be,” but that doesn’t tell the whole story. The pain of repeatedly hitting bottom lines was enough to get me in the door, but never enough to keep me inside.
When I admitted powerlessness and unmanageability (Step One), I began Twelve-Step recovery. Within one week my spiritual awakening began as I could believe in the experience of others and feel hope. For me this was Step Two. Beginning to learn and live the Steps in my life (with some assistance from professionals) enlarged and deepened my spiritual awakening.
A few years before I came to SA, I saw several therapists. I didn't realize it then, but I was looking for a “higher power” that would save me from myself, that would carry me. Being saved and carried was exactly what I tried to find in lust.
As of January 15, 2023, we are approaching 1000 Registered meetings of out of an expected 1700. We have extended the deadline once from December 31, 2022, to January 31, 2023. For several reasons, we have not yet approached the critical mass we had hoped for
