John is a graduate student at a local university. Beginning in his sophomore year of college he facilitated outings for a youth group. After one of their outings, John took the youth to a pizza place. When he was getting ready to pay the bill he realized he only had twenty dollars in his pocket. The bill came to just over nineteen dollars. He was a poor student but thought he would be ok until payday on Saturday. He said to himself, “I have a full tank of gas”. The next morning in his mailbox he found an envelope and in it was a fifty-dollar bill.
Giving is part and parcel of who we are and not from excess. Step 12 encourages us to, “Gain insight into our recovery through our Higher Power as we model these steps, and share our journey toward hope, healing, and health with people”. Giving is who we are as participants in healing. Giving encompasses three areas in our lives, time, talent, and treasurer.
Time is following an older person and refrain from speeding around them as if they are standing still. Waiting in line at a store behind a person who is taking their time. Knowing our children (including adult children) want to talk to us when we have a lot to do. When we spend time it comes back to us.
Talent is helping a neighbor, helping at a bake sale, using our basketball skills to coach eighth graders, or a women’s group that bakes a coffee cake for a family that loses a loved one. Does this take away the pain? “No” but in giving each person is transformed and touched by our gestures.
Treasure is having twenty dollars in our pocket. Are we waiting for a rainy day to spend it? What if the rainy day is the present moment?
Recovery wants our time, talent, and treasurer. This is our spiritual DNA. Look into our spiritual pocket today and spend what we have been given – let it go, the promise is it will come back tenfold.
Giving without meeting our needs is not recommended. Giving is not recommended when we are physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually empty. During these moments we may need to prime the pump to refill these areas of our life to regain the energy necessary to serve others. Finally, empower people to care for themselves whenever possible.
SuperHuman Being
Peace
Larry
email: ljw@superhumanbeing.net
website: https://superhumanbeing.net/