September 23: Friends Who Carry the Mat
At the meeting last night, someone new came in. Shaking, barely able to say their name. You remembered being there. Who carried you?
“And they come unto him, bringing one sick of the palsy, which was borne of four. And when they could not come nigh unto him for the press, they uncovered the roof where he was: and when they had broken it up, they let down the bed wherein the sick of the palsy lay. When Jesus saw their faith, he said unto the sick of the palsy, Son, thy sins be forgiven thee.”
Four men brought a paralyzed friend to Jesus. The house was packed. They couldn’t get in the door. So they climbed on the roof, dug a hole through it, and lowered their friend down on his mat right in front of Jesus. And when Jesus saw their faith, He spoke to the man.
Their faith. Not just the man’s. His friends carried him when he couldn’t walk.
That’s what recovery community does. When you couldn’t get to a meeting, someone drove you. When you couldn’t pray, someone prayed for you. When you couldn’t believe you’d ever get sober, someone believed it for you. You were carried.
Recovery Month is a good time to remember that. Nobody gets sober alone. Somebody carried the mat.
It’s also a good time to start carrying. You don’t need to have years of sobriety. You just need to be a little further down the road than someone else. Say hello to the newcomer. Give them your number. Offer a ride. Sit with them after the meeting. Pray for them by name.
This is connected to Step Nine too. Making amends to people you hurt is one way to heal the past. Carrying others is another way. Many people find that helping someone new is one of the best things for their own recovery. It keeps you humble. It reminds you where you came from. It gives your story a purpose.
Those four friends got their hands dirty. They tore up someone’s roof. They didn’t care how it looked. They just wanted their friend in front of Jesus. That’s the kind of friend you can be.
One thing today
Go to a meeting this week and talk to the newest person there. Give them your number, and tell them to call you anytime.
A prayer
Lord, thank You for the people who carried me. Make me someone who carries others. Show me the person who needs a hand this week, and help me get them closer to You. Amen.
If someone new asks where to start, point them to Start Here.
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