January 7: Why Go to a Meeting
You have looked up the meeting time twice now. You haven’t gone yet.
“Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their toil. For if they fall, one will lift up his fellow. But woe to him who is alone when he falls and has not another to lift him up!”
The writer of Ecclesiastes had seen a lot of life. He had tried pleasure, work, wealth and wisdom. One of his plain conclusions was this: two are better than one. When one falls, the other lifts him up. But pity the person who falls with no one there.
The first word of Step One is “we.” Not “I admitted.” We. From the start, recovery from drinking has been something people do together. Nobody in the early days figured it out alone, and almost nobody does now.
That’s why meetings matter. Not because there’s magic in folding chairs and coffee. Because in that room are people who know exactly what you’re talking about. You don’t have to explain why one drink is a problem. You don’t have to defend yourself. You can sit in the back, say nothing, and just listen. Many people find that hearing someone else tell their story is the first time they fully admit their own.
The fear is normal. You might worry someone will recognize you. You might worry you won’t fit in, or that you’re not “bad enough.” Most people in those rooms felt the same way the first time. They kept coming back because what they found was relief, not judgment.
You don’t have to share. You don’t have to say you’re an alcoholic. You just have to show up and sit down.
Afterward, notice how you feel walking to the car. Many people say it’s the first time in years they felt understood. That feeling is worth going back for. Try a few different meetings before you decide which ones fit you.
If you are a person of faith, you may wonder whether a secular meeting is the right place. Many Christians find that the meeting gives them honesty and fellowship, and their church gives them worship and teaching. You can have both.
One thing today
Find one meeting this week, in person or online. Put the time in your phone with a reminder. If you can, go today.
A prayer
God, I’m nervous about walking into that room. Give me enough courage to go once. Put someone there who will understand, and help me listen.
More about the “we” in Step One.
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