There is a saying in program, "You can't keep it unless you give it away." In A.A., Bill W. sponsored so that he would stay sober. When I sponsor, it helps me to stay abstinent.
"Life takes on new meaning. To watch people recover, to see them help
others, to watch loneliness vanish, to see a fellowship grow up about you,
to have a host of friends - this is an experiience you must not miss.
We know you will not want to miss it. Frequent contact with newcomers
and with each other is the bright spot of our lives."
A.A. Big Book, pg 89
Newcomers offer me a wonderful opportunity to help someone brand new in program. I can give them the welcoming hand that every newcomer needs when they first walk through our doors. If I am abstinent and working a program, by sponsoring them, I'm able to give them a link to the rooms, offer them hope, and a reason to keep coming back. My recovery and how I live my life can be a living example of how our program works, when we work it.
Sponsoring a newcomer is also a way to help our program continue to grow. We need the newcomers - they're how our programs have survived and grown through the years. My life has changed dramatically because of the wonderful people I sponsor. Each person has their own distinct personality, looks at life differently, approaches life uniquely, and challenges me separately They've individually taught me things that have enhanced my life and my recovery.
Whatever we can do to help the suffering addict is our responsibility - sponsoring a newcomer is one of them.
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