December 4: Making the Coffee

Someone has to make the coffee at the meeting. Why not you?

Service in recovery rarely starts with anything impressive. It usually starts with a coffee pot. Setting up chairs. Putting out literature. Standing at the door and shaking hands. Cleaning up afterward. Small, unglamorous jobs that somebody has to do.

They matter more than they look.

On the night before He died, Jesus took off His outer clothes, wrapped a towel around His waist and washed His disciples’ feet. That was the job of the lowest servant in the house. Dirty, dusty feet, after walking all day on roads shared with animals. Peter was so uncomfortable he tried to refuse. And Jesus said, I’ve given you an example. You should do as I have done.

The King of everything picked up a towel. That tells you something about what greatness looks like in God’s eyes.

Taking a service job at a meeting does a few things. It gets you there early and keeps you there late, which is good for your own recovery. It gives you a reason to show up even on weeks you don’t feel like it. It puts you in contact with newcomers, who often arrive early because they’re nervous. And it gets you out of your own head. Hard to sit in self-pity while you’re stacking chairs.

It also humbles you, in the best way. Pride is one of the quiet dangers of recovery. People with some time can start to feel important. Making the coffee keeps you grounded. You’re not above anyone. You’re one more person helping out.

The same goes for church. Ushering. Setting up. Working in the nursery. Helping in the kitchen. These jobs are the towel-and-basin work of a congregation. They’re how a body takes care of itself.

You don’t have to commit to something huge. Pick one small job. Show up for it faithfully. That’s Step Twelve in practice.

One thing today

At your next meeting or church service, ask how you can help. Take one small job, like coffee, chairs or greeting, and commit to it for the next month.

A prayer

Lord Jesus, You washed feet. Nothing is beneath You, and nothing should be beneath me. Give me a willing heart for small, humble jobs, and use them to keep me close to You. Amen.

Service commitments are part of Step Twelve.

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