Step Twelve
A few weeks ago, I took a friend to an Alcoholics Anonymous meeting. It was the first AA meeting I had ever attended. There were probably 40-45 people present. Most of us are familiar, in broad terms at least, with the “twelve steps” an alcoholic must take in order to beat the addiction. The twelfth step, the one final step when you know you’ve beaten the addiction, is when you commit yourself to help someone else beat the addiction.
The twelfth step is about serving others. Many of the addicts at the AA meeting were in their 60s and 70s. They had beaten their addiction years ago. But they were still attending meetings, still trying to help encourage others that, despite the long slow process, they could be successful as well. From that perspective, it was encouraging.
Jesus calls us to serve real, living human beings with whom we live and work every day. AA meetings are offered daily. There are few who have the free time to dedicate to an AA meeting on a daily basis. But do we, who are not addicts, have the willingness to dedicate time to helping our friends or family attend such meetings, even if it is only 2-3 times a week? Yes, it is time consuming. How deep is our love? How strong is our commitment?
One man writes, “The whole purpose of AA meetings is to make people feel safe. The people who share the struggle, who come together to help and be helped, are warm and friendly and welcoming. For many alcoholics, the connections last well after the meetings are over” (Sinek, 274).
I did not watch the old TV show Cheers, primarily because it was set in a bar. But I did hear the theme song on more than one occasion:
Making your way in the world today
Takes everything you got
Taking a break from all your worries
It sure would help a lot
It takes less time to execute and 100mg viagra online deliver effective results in bed. Most people are sexually active during all life, regardless of whether they have a permanent partner, and many feel the real sexual freedom in a sear and yellow leaf. get viagra Our past cheap cialis from canada experiences undoubtedly effect the way we think about our lives as a whole, looking at the big picture. Differing order cheap viagra from the previous two therapies mentioned, the counsellor works at encouraging the couples to use each other as emotional support. Wouldn’t you like to get away?
Sometimes you want to go
Where everybody knows your name
And they’re always glad you came
You want to be where you can see
The troubles are all the same
You want to be where everybody knows your name
You want to go where people know
The people are all the same
You want to go where everybody knows your name
Isn’t that what the church is for? Isn’t that a good description of how the church family ought to share and care for one another? I am thankful that we have members who will sit on the front pew with someone who responds needing prayers. We need to help one another and we need to be willing to be helped by one another. That’s how we overcome the addiction to sin that each of us has.
Your fello
