Being available to the needs of others as well as my own. . .
I spoke in my last post about my own recent struggle with remembering that my “work here” is to fulfill God’s will, which is really quite simple: it’s to show up lovingly in the lives of others, knowing without question that that is where we have been called to be. And secondly, that God will direct our efforts. He will also be in charge of the outcome. Letting go of the outcome is perhaps our biggest challenge some days.
Because I am a frequent meeting-goer, I have the opportunity to serve in the capacity of sponsor for many women in both AA and Al-Anon. I have learned that the program that gets the biggest boost from my involvement is my own. And even though I don’t ever shy away from serving others in this capacity, I can’t always avoid the personal doldrums myself, as I pointed out in the last post. Helping others doesn’t insure that I won’t also need help. And then others get to serve me as I have served. What is given out is handed back. The good news is that almost as soon as I begin talking about my “stuckness,” it begins to lessen. That will always be true I believe.
Being isolated with our thoughts, even though we might be in the midst of a crowd of others, is the glue that holds us back from the growth that’s waiting for us. I know this. I know it well. And yet I “hung back” with my dark thoughts while with friends and in meetings these last couple of weeks. They got darker, and that’s to be expected.
We must let others in if we want to move forward. We simply must let others in. Even when we are embarrassed to have them see where we are, (which is a normal response), we must let them in. I did today and the cloud began to lift. Letting others see who we really are is good for the soul, ours and theirs, I think. Not pretending to be more than human is what heals us, in time. This is a healing journey we share. We need to be able to see healing in action.
To help others heal means we celebrate the honesty of others as they share their vulnerability with us. Telling others my “truth” changed it. That’s the miracle of honesty. That’s the miracle of humility. That’s the miracle of admitting I/we are ready for a new vision.
We are here to help each other. I need you. I believe you need me. Let’s move forward together.
