Service Tools & Concepts The Sounds of Program By admin Posted on April 1, 2020 3 min read 0 Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Google+ Share on Reddit Share on Pinterest Share on Linkedin Share on Tumblr I put my hand in yours, . . . At a retreat years ago in Melbourne, Australia, participants began with a trust walk. (A trust walk is where half the group closes its eyes and the other half leads them around.) Then, the roles were reversed so the other group could lead around the room. But one OA member attending did not want to lead others around, because she was blind. . . . and together we can do what we could never do alone. At the end of the day, it bothered me that she had not led. So with everyone present, I talked her into leading me around the room. I closed my eyes, and, like I did when I came into the rooms of OA, trusted it would be okay if I put my faith in God and the members of OA. No longer is there a sense of hopelessness, no longer must we each depend upon our own unsteady willpower. As she led me around the room with her cane, I began to hear the program at work: the sounds of feet shuffling around and chairs and tables being moved—it was the sound of love. The members were working hard to help a fellow member through her fear. We are all together now, reaching out our hands for power and strength greater than ours, and as we join hands, . . . Our trust in a Higher Power, our willingness to go to any lengths, and the love we shared for each other that day gave the room a sense of love and strength that transcended the fear of the unknown for one member of the Fellowship. . . . we find love and understanding beyond our wildest dreams. The trust walk symbolized for me what the Fellowship of OA is all about. It is about walking through our fears, being willing to go to any lengths, and most importantly, realizing the power of the first word in the First Step: WE. I still remember this wonderful experience years later. — J.A.
