Just wanted to share a cool God shot that happened for me with regards to my last post and my job situation. As I was praying and complaining about my ego being hurt and not getting the raise I felt I deserved, one of my sponsors sponsor called me. I guess you could call him my grandsponsor. He was having a similar situation with work too! I was talking about how my job was so easy for me and I could do it with one lobe tied behind my back. Maybe it was time for me to look for another job with more responsibility and more pay etc. He then pointed out to me that I was reaching a point in my program where new guys were going to be drawn to me to be their sponsor. A good paying job that didn't require tons of my time and mental energy might be just the thing I needed in order to do His work. I had just been blessed by being asked to sponsor one guy already and an old friend who is trying to get sober has asked me for help.
Then I wrote my Cutler post about surrendering my job situation and just waited and prayed. Next morning at meeting it happened. I was approached by another new guy who asked me to sponsor him. He's been around a couple of months so I assumed he was already working with some of the great sobriety gurus of my home group. He listed off several older and wiser members of my home group that were also in the running but he decided on me. I was humbled to be mentioned in the same breath with my morning Zen masters. My first sponsee did this too!
Now I'm excited and anxious with two fish on the line. Not much time to worry about trivial things like raises and promotions all of a sudden. Out here in Colorado if you want to fish with two poles you need to pay extra and get a stamp on your licence. Trouble is when the fish are biting you can have two poles going at once. Which one do I reel first? How do I keep the lines from getting crossed and tangled. Which bait was I using on which hook? AAAAGGGGHHHHH! What a great problem to have. So here I sit after praying about my job and God handed me a mission if I choose to accept it. I think I will before I self destruct. Now I have to be cautious because as an alcoholic I always over indulge. Last thing I need right now is to become the octosponsor.:) Any suggestions about sponsoring multiples out there would be greatly appreciated.
One Fish Two Fish
7 comments:
Everything comes to him who waits...or something like that!
Good post. thanks.
2 fish. Awesome! Now you just need 5 loaves of bread. Imagine the work you are going to start getting done now.
Godspeed,
Chris
I sponsor 4 right now and find that God gives me just what I need just when I need it. If you have a time constraint and cannot work with each one individually, it can be helpful to coordinate a time to work in the book with both together (a personal big book study).
I do a one on one big book study with one sponsee on a 3 day a week 1 hour a day basis, the other works with me in a group Big Book study 2 days a week; the other two...well they're just trying to stop managing their own lives... and they remind me to PRAY, A LOT!
All 4 are very different, 2 are skittish and bugger off a lot, 2 work very good programs; one in 9-12 step process now, and the other just getting into 9-12.
I'm grateful that God gave me the opportunity to work with such a wide array of women, they really are a joy (even the ones who bugger off and try to manage things themselves, because they remind me of ... oh yeah ME!)
So glad you're getting the opportunity to share in a larger experience, and I'll bet, if ya let Him, God will show you exactly what you need, exactly when you need it, that's the great part, you don't have to control it, it just is.
All you have to do is be there when they call, make suggestions about the next step to take beginning with "have you prayed?", keep reminding them how unmanageable and self-centered they are, and reminding them that God's the one that loves 'em enough to employ them for better purposes if they'll just get out their head and move toward His purpose.
Just like you :)
It's a great life, and a great program of action to get to miracles.
Thanks for the reminder about how blessed I am too! Not everyone gets sponsees asking them for some perspective, and not everyone is aware of God enough to know that He will only give you what you need, and will never give you more than you can handle... so if someone asks, there must be a reason right?
I work with sponsees at noon and after work on non-meeting nights. I have four right now. That's about all that I have time for. It can work as long as I don't feel overwhelmed.
Great post...good job, keep up the work!
G
Just one day at a time. That's it.
That my friend is my own understanding of the 12th step. When you're a bit discontent with what you have or where you are, then somehow two people are placed in your life who are in much more dire, unstable positions and looking upon you as their pillar of strength. . . . for me that would be "...a spiritual awakening as a result of these steps,". Now you are in the best position to "...carry this message to other alcoholics," and by doing so, you will find that you're looking at your own program much harder, or keeping on your toes so to speak, so that you may "practice these principles in all" your affairs.
That's good stuff.
Post a Comment