There's a tremendous amount of strength, support and solace found in being a part of the recovering community. Sure, there's no revelation here...you may feel it nearly every time you step into a meeting, call your sponsor in the wee hours of the morning, or when you take a moment to spiritually reflect on recovery.

In recovery, we take great care to humble ourselves in the eyes of our Higher Power, our sponsor, our home-group, our loved ones, and to others in our lives. In AA, in NA, Caduceus, etc., each member of the group is viewed as a part of the greater whole. Being a part of such entities brings about responsibility for the group and various opportunities to contribute, share, and give back to the organization.

Also, if we consider one of the fundamental principles of recovery and the twelve-step tradition, that of carrying its message to the alcoholic or drug addict, we are clearly responsible to provide support, help and outreach to others who continue to suffer. Thus, as members of the greater whole, it's important that each person consider what they may "have" to offer and how they can make a difference in the recovering community.

Sharing is essential

Simply put, everyone has something to contribute to the recovering community. Each individual in recovery had different gifts to share so that the overall community can continue to address, engage and accomplish the goals and objectives of the recovering community. When such individual elements are blended together to serve the overall mission of the group, this is proof positive that sharing is essential when walking the path of outreach, support and service in recovery.

The use of the term "gifts" is key and needs to be carefully considered, defined and revisited on an individual basis from time to time, similar to one's person definition of a Higher Power or as a part of taking inventory. Also, some recovering addicts choose to use the term "spiritual gifts," which often represents the abilities given to the individual by a Higher Power. In this case, spiritual gifts are meant to benefit and be a part of the greater whole.

What gifts?

This can be a tough question. At different points in recovery, it’s valuable for recovering addicts to reflect, access and redefine what they are giving to the community. Many questions may come to mind: How can I be of support to others facing addiction? How do I reach out to the kids in my neighborhood? Would my homegroup like to have a band at the next picnic?; Maybe I could join a political action organization?... What can I do? What can I give? What can I share?

These are highly thought-provoking questions and the answers are wonderfully challenging and extremely beneficial to study, understand and account for in recovery. Since many recovering addicts continue to confront sophisticated defenses mechanisms, as well as such prevailing issues as shame, guilt, depression, anxiety, and self-doubt, this unhurried, deliberate process of making careful decisions on how to contribute to and support the recovering community is truly valuable and helps the individual continue to grow in recovery.

Plan of Action

Beyond the broad, candid questions mentioned above, it’s imperative to move ahead, recognize the greater mission of the journey and to begin to consider a possible plan of action. Here, you may choose to start with three focal points:

1. How has my Higher Power prepared (gifted) me to be an active member of the recovering community? Is it by means of sports, fine arts, music, computer skills, culinary arts, prayer, community outreach, comic relief (Every group has at least one clown!), etc.?

2. How do I express such gifts? Maybe some of the group members would enjoy a little music after some meetings? How about baking anniversary cakes? Would it be helpful to lend a hand with the newsletter? Maybe pull-together an early bird golfing group before a meeting once a month?

3. How about outreach, advocacy and community service? Should I volunteer to talk to youth groups or community service agencies? How about supporting political action groups interested in chemical dependency issues and related healthcare needs?

Yes, this is a long list of examples... Shouldn't it be? When you have a group of individuals committed to recovery and dedicated to looking after each other, the possibilities are truly endless. Plus, the upshot of working together is that no matter how simple a gift may seem, like staying after meetings to clean-up or coordinating a walking group before your meetings, what you have to share is significant. Bottom line, it helps support and sustain the recovering community.

Besides, don't you just love it when you unexpectedly find out about an amazing interest of one of your homegroup members or learn that someone in the group shares a similar passion that you enjoy (or it could be something that has laid dormant for a while and you would like to pursue down the road).

For the Common Good

Moving full circle, we are back to the fundamental premise that the recovering addict is a part of the greater whole, a part of the recovering community. Whether as a gifted steward of outreach, education, meditation, technology, recreation, music, or fare, your gift is an element of an everchanging, evolving entity committed to recovery.

Unity is what the utilization of our gifts is ultimately about— unity is about the building-up of the recovering community for the common good. Together, as a united, integrated force, we can carry the message of hope, faith and recovery to the alcoholic or drug addict who still suffers. It is through this foundation that the recovering community can truly make a difference one day at a time— "to carve and paint the very atmosphere and medium thought which we look… to affect the quality of the day."