Quickly or Slowly

Like many compulsive overeaters, I entered the rooms of OA only to lose weight. I’d tried dozens of weight loss programs and lost weight, only to gain it back plus more. I came for the vanity and stayed for the sanity.

I really listened to the Big Book promises when they were read aloud at OA meetings, and I realized that’s what I wanted. One line that stood out for me was, “We will comprehend the word serenity and we will know peace” (Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th ed., pp. 83-84). Also the language about the promises at the end of the last paragraph: “They are being fulfilled among us—sometimes quickly, sometimes slowly. They will always materialize if we work for them” (p. 84).

In May 2019, I will have been a member of Overeaters Anonymous for forty years. I’ve been blessed with working the program each and every day, sometimes quickly, sometimes slowly. When I first entered the rooms, I’d take one step forward and three steps back. As these years in OA have gone by, I still take just one step forward, but sometimes the steps back are only one or two, and they’re little tiny baby steps. So in essence, I’ve been moving closer to my Higher Power.

I learned in Overeaters Anonymous that this is a threefold disease: it’s physical, emotional, and spiritual. I am more comfortable when my “three-legged stool” is in balance, so it’s important for me to work on all three areas to the best of my ability. The Twelve Step program has provided me with a blueprint for life. I want to embrace the promises in the program, so I intend to continue being a member of OA, one day at a time.

I do service at the three meetings I attend. I also send out a weekly email to these three groups, informing members of upcoming meetings and what literature we’ll be reading. I call newcomers to welcome them, and I make outreach calls. I definitely know that I belong in this Twelve Step program because it really is home. Home is where one feels comfortable and safe. I look forward to the meetings where my OA family awaits me. Home is where the heart is, and it’s where I feel this peace and serenity. You are all welcomed to my home.

— Elmer, Oceanside, California USA