"Every A.A. group ought to be fully self-supporting, declining outside contributions." — Seventh Tradition
"Most alcoholics owe money."
Isn't that fitting?
Being a practicing alcoholic is almost like having a second job. We go to work all day earning a paycheck, then spend our evenings figuring out how to drink it away. Along the way, bills pile up, promises get broken, and the people who count on us get whatever is left over. We neglect family responsibilities, skimp on what we could have provided for our children, and become experts at keeping the lights on without actually paying the electric bill. Our stories get longer, our excuses get better, and our debt gets bigger.
Then we land here.
In a program built on rigorous honesty, we're introduced to the Seventh Tradition and asked to become self-supporting through our own contributions. It can feel like a strange request. After all, our first thought when the basket comes around might be, I can't afford it. Someone else will take care of it.
Maybe that's true. Maybe the meeting will be just fine without our dollar.
But the real exercise isn't about the dollar.
It's about trusting God enough to do the next right thing. Sometimes that means putting a dollar in the basket even when our instincts tell us to hold onto it. We stop acting out of fear and start acting out of faith, believing that if we're trying to do God's will, He'll take care of the rest. More often than not, He has a way of giving back far more than we ever imagined.
Looking back, what was your relationship with money really like? Was it something you managed... or something that managed you?
