A small act of generosity can do wonders...
It works, How and why, Twelfth step
When we talk about "keeping what we have by giving" in NA, many of us think of how we freely share our experience, strength, and hope. After all, sharing is one of the most obvious ways we get our message across. But it's not the only way. We often don't realize how we influence others just by coming and being ourselves.
"Sometimes I go to an out-of-town gathering when I visit my family," one member wrote. "A woman I didn't recognize celebrated two years of purity. She came up to me after the gathering and told me that I remembered her name from her first meeting two years ago. She said she felt like she was being seen for the first time in a long time and that's why she kept coming."
Such experiences are very common in NA. Most of us have a memory of a small act of kindness done early in our recovery. We pass that kindness and generosity down – sometimes without even realizing we're doing it. Other times, it's largely a purposeful and conscious choice we make to ensure that newcomers have the opportunity to feel the love that we did. “I can't tell you how many Basic Texts I've bought over the years I've been clean. And I still only have one copy."
In NA we give of ourselves in acts of empathy. We carry the message when we share in the gatherings, and we carry the message by showing who we are in everything we do as NA members. Whether it's holding the door open for someone coming to a gathering for the first time, or holding a friend's hand as they share a struggle they're going through, or holding the gathering open for others to hear the message on their own time—our generosity can to work miracles.
Part of recovery is giving generously and expecting nothing in return. I will give freely today, knowing that I may not see the extent of my generosity.
