Steps Traditions Light Reaching Out By admin Posted on May 1, 2019 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 Why would you care about a visibly overweight stranger? A person who needs a chair to sit on during long strolls through a department store? A person whose breathing you can hear as you travel close by them in an elevator? Do you understand a person who never seems to gain weight yet always eats or a person who shows their skeleton bones on the outside of their body? Without judgement, do you have empathy? This question matters, for we can only keep the abstinence we’ve found by giving the resources away. I know that I’m broken when it comes to the principles that gave me my abstinence, but rather than relapse, I have grown, cleaned my slate, and remained honest with my OA co-members. And I know that having the heart to reach out to a person we may call “newcomer” is key to how I can keep my recovery. It’s why I embrace this service of writing. I still feel embarrassed about my weight, but I am no longer hopeless. I know the people in my group will help and support me through my growth and recovery. It’s through all this gratitude that I find the energy to move on. Based on this gratitude, I find the light within me reaching back out to touch another suffering addict. The world can be dark; society carries deep secrets. Understanding the truth draws out many individuals caught in the murk of this disease. Step Twelve carries discernment of this point, plus it never forgets the important concept along our path—to carry the message to those in need. — Anthony B.
