"TAKING A STEP BY PHONE? NOT!"
I’ve been sponsoring girls in Alcoholics Anonymous and now also in Al-Anon for many years and dearly love all the women God has brought into my life.
I have been told many very private things and sometimes things very different from my own experiences. I have also been asked many questions, some of them strange to me. I consider this “par for the course”. After all, guiding someone into this new life is a lot like guiding someone who has never heard of the deepest parts of Africa on a safari through the jungle.
Recently I was asked a question by a sponsee unlike any I have ever been asked before. The question was, "Could you take me through the 10th step over the phone?"
This person lives part of the year in the town where I live and the other part of the year in another state. We had four months to accomplish completing this step, but she never had the time to do it.
My thoughts about this question are several.
First, the steps, each and every one of them, are “life” to us alcoholics. They are priceless gifts of incalculable value. Each one requires and deserves more intimacy than a phone call can provide.
Second, volumes of information are conveyed between people with their facial expressions and body language that cannot be transmitted over the phone.
Third, I had an idea while thinking about my response. Doing a step over the phone would be like hearing a confession or saying wedding vows over the phone
And finally, the steps are spiritual and doing a step with another person is a spiritual matter.
I suggested that she take the next step with a woman she talks with in the other state where she lives. Our alcoholism does not wait patiently for us to find someone to work through a step with. Our alcoholism is patiently waiting to find us "off guard" to take us by surprise. We must always be prepared and working on the maintenance of our spiritual condition.
I pray for this lady that she will follow my suggestion. God bless her.
God bless you,
Prayer Girl
I have been told many very private things and sometimes things very different from my own experiences. I have also been asked many questions, some of them strange to me. I consider this “par for the course”. After all, guiding someone into this new life is a lot like guiding someone who has never heard of the deepest parts of Africa on a safari through the jungle.
Recently I was asked a question by a sponsee unlike any I have ever been asked before. The question was, "Could you take me through the 10th step over the phone?"
This person lives part of the year in the town where I live and the other part of the year in another state. We had four months to accomplish completing this step, but she never had the time to do it.
My thoughts about this question are several.
First, the steps, each and every one of them, are “life” to us alcoholics. They are priceless gifts of incalculable value. Each one requires and deserves more intimacy than a phone call can provide.
Second, volumes of information are conveyed between people with their facial expressions and body language that cannot be transmitted over the phone.
Third, I had an idea while thinking about my response. Doing a step over the phone would be like hearing a confession or saying wedding vows over the phone
And finally, the steps are spiritual and doing a step with another person is a spiritual matter.
I suggested that she take the next step with a woman she talks with in the other state where she lives. Our alcoholism does not wait patiently for us to find someone to work through a step with. Our alcoholism is patiently waiting to find us "off guard" to take us by surprise. We must always be prepared and working on the maintenance of our spiritual condition.
I pray for this lady that she will follow my suggestion. God bless her.
God bless you,
Prayer Girl
6 comments:
This reminds me of the piece circulating a while back, regarding a "Drive-Thru Sponsorship"...in which there was very little sponsorship as we know it.
Do a "Step-A-Day-By-Touchphone"...
Wow!
Love,
Me
The steps you laid above is very practical and sensible approach to overcome issue- solution based approach.
God bless,
Good post, I hadn't heard of the "drive by sponsoring" but it sounds pretty terrible. I will admit that I do call my sponsor a couple times a week, but not to do the step work...I can't imagine doing the 4th step in a text message...ugh!
Love ya,
G
You are absolutely right. There is so much to be said for a face-to-face meeting. Body language and our eyes can say much more than the words we are actually speaking sometimes.
I have heard that there are people who live so far from meetings that they have to do them via internet. I drive about 40-50 minutes for most of my meetings. It means that I get back late on some nights. But I couldn't get the same from an on line meeting. I think that the same is true for the steps and more so even.
What's next..the steps by texting?
You tell like it is, girl
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