The message of our meetings
“The fact that we, each and every group, focus on carrying the message provides
consistency; addicts can count on us.”
Basic Text pp.64-65
Tales of our antics in active addiction may be funny. Stories of our old bizarre
reactions to life when using may be interesting. But they tend to carry the mess
more than the message. Philosophical arguments on the nature of God are
fascinating. Discussions of current controversies have their place-however; it’s not at
an NA meeting.
Those times when we grow disgusted with meetings and find ourselves complaining
that “they don’t know how to share” or “it was another whining session” are probably
indications that we need to take a good, hard look at how we share.
What we share about how we got into recovery and how we stayed here through
practicing the Twelve Steps is the real message of recovery. That’s what we are all
looking for when we go to a meeting. Our primary purpose is to carry the message
to the still-suffering addict, and what we share at meetings can either contribute
significantly to this effort or detract greatly. The choice, and the responsibility, is
ours.
Just for today: I will share my recovery at an NA meeting.