Trusting a sponsor-worth the risk
“A sponsor is… someone we can trust to share our life experiences with…”
IP No. 11, “Sponsorship”
(Revised)
“In seeking a sponsor, most members look for someone they feel they can learn to
trust, someone who seems compassionate”
IP No. 11, “Sponsorship”, Revised
The idea of sponsorship may be new to us. We have spent many years without
direction, relying only on self-interest, suspecting everyone, trusting no one. Now
that we are learning to live in recovery, we find we need help. We can’t do it alone
anymore; we must take the risk of trusting another human being. Often, the first
person we take that risk with is our sponsor-someone we respect, someone we
identify with, someone we have reason to trust.
As we open up to our sponsor, a bond develops between us. We disclose our secrets
and develop confidence in our sponsor’s discretion. We share our concerns and learn
to value our sponsor’s experience. We share our pain and are met with empathy. We
get to know one another, respect one another, love one another. The more we trust
our sponsor, the more we learn to trust ourselves.
Trust helps us move away from a life of fear, confusion, suspicion, and indirection. In
the beginning, it feels risky to trust another addict. But that trust is the same
principle we apply in our relationship with a Higher Power-risky or not, our
experience tells us we can’t do without it. And the more we take the risk of trusting
our sponsor, the more open we will feel about our lives.
Just for today: I want to grow and change. I will risk trusting my sponsor and find
the rewards of sharing.