Convention-al Wisdom

As I planned to attend a regional convention, my hope was to grasp a nugget of information that would ignite and excite me to commit to the OA program and principles. I am new to OA and am still trying to find the group meeting that best suits my schedule and needs. I do not have a sponsor yet, so I guess I am at ground zero. However, I do recognize that I have an addiction and my life is uncontrollable where food is concerned.

As I entered the day, I felt at ease and welcomed among a nonjudgmental group. That was a relief. As we seated ourselves in the auditorium, a slide show was playing, and these words etched themselves into my brain: The disease is physical; the cause is emotional; the cure is spiritual. Wow, did that hit me! Spiritual! Of course! That’s what I had been hearing over and over: my Higher Power! Right there was a nugget to take home.

We could choose from topics throughout the day, and the speakers spoke from their hearts and through their experiences. They talked about trials and failures, but also about hope when they found abstinence and OA group support.

I heard statements like, “Balance (meditation, listening, and trust) can put manageability into your life,” “God made us with a free will . . . he wants us to choose not to fail,” and “We need to let go of our ego and climb out of the abyss and into God’s arms.” All of these statements play repeatedly in my head. Hopefully they will replace those old tapes of selfhatred, ridicule, and embarrassment.

At lunch, a person I met offered to be a fill-in sponsor until I found one closer to me. Can you believe that? I was surprised and blessed by her generosity.

I am on a journey to a better life and health in my future years. This convention has given me hope that this time I can achieve my goals. I now need to surrender myself to God and find joy in abstinence. Pray for me.

— Edited and reprinted from The Stepping Stone newsletter, Northeast Wisconsin Intergroup, May/June 2012