Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person.

Colossians‬ ‭4‬:‭6

My first encounters with groups of recovery were interesting. I’d previously heard the acronym of AA only enough to assume and dismiss the fact that it must be an insurance company of some sort.

When I found myself in the midst of an meeting, the experience was actually calming. I was invited to listen—no problem there. And then people simple shared a piece of their story: what it was like, what happened, and what it’s like now.

This is the very basic fundamentals of sharing our story with others. And it usually doesn’t need to be any more complicated than this.

Hope will spring from truth, and the simpler the truth the easier to hold the attention of your audience.

There was no harshness in my first experiences of AA. No one was overbearing or vindictive or loud or obnoxious.

That came later.

I’m thankful for a gentle introduction to what recovery can be. For the stories of those who shared that evening—though only the idea of it remains with me, the details are lost to time.

It was a meeting seasoned with salt. Not all of them are.

How I conduct myself matters today. I want to emulate the approachability of one who is able to help and can direct someone to the simple steps ahead of them rather than confuse them with a plethora of ideas and theories.

At its heart, recovery is practical. It invites us to take practical action to align ourselves better to receive the gift of sobriety.

And most importantly, it leads us toward the one relationship that can sustain us for the long walk of our life. The purpose of recovery is to lead us to God. All lines lead back and up to Him, and any part that we play in the process is a privilege.

God, help me play my part in your orchestra.