Tradition 11

Tradition 11:
Our public relations policy is based on attraction rather than promotion; we need always maintain personal anonymity at the level of press, radio, films, television and other public media of communication.

I have had the opportunity to deal with this lately. It is amazing how HP brings these traditions a reality in my life. This one hit home via our monthly church meeting. Let me explain.

Our Sunday School is mainly adults of ages 50 plus. We have very few little ones attending and their parents are all very busy in the sports and etc. that meet on Sunday's so they aren't attending either. Within our meeting, we were talking about what we could do to attract others to our church. Should we have a street fair? a contest of some sort? What would draw them in? Well, as I was thinking of this during the week after the meeting, this tradition hit me! It is attraction NOT promotion that draws people in! They come for the fun, but if you have nothing that keeps them coming back... they will leave as quickly as they came. So, how do we attract them? This was a question I had to really ponder.
Just as quickly as I asked... HP answered! It is called... LIVING THE LIFE!

Hmm!! That was an interesting thought. What I could do is just live like I love life. Like my life is totally centered on what HP wants and how He is changing my life. So, I have begun to do this. I am sharing how HP is meeting our needs, keeping me safe, showing me the path He wants me to follow. As I do this, others too will see that He is the answer to their problems!

When I think of how this works in OA... if I am sharing during the meetings how HP is answering my prayers and meditations, if He is giving me strength to lose and they are seeing it, if they can see I am growing both mentally, spiritually and physically... then they will be back! So often I would come to meeting just to dump my problems. Instead of encouraging others, I found myself being a discourager. So... I have changed this. I try to encourage others each week. Even when life SUCKS (at least I am thinking it is), HP helps me to find out that it is really a tool that He is using to make me grow! What a learning tool!!

So, the question is... are you an encourager or a discourager? Do others come to your meeting because you have given them a positive witness? I pray that you have and if you haven't that today you begin to change. It is only through the positives... that we are able to reach out and touch someone else!

Have an awesome day!!
Hugs...Cindy