Some
avoid service work because they are tired of doing so much and don’t
know how to set appropriate boundaries. Others avoid service work
because they have given so much in their life without feeling
appreciated or recognized for what they have given. Some say no because
they are just learning how to say no and want to practice. There are
probably lots of other reasons why people choose either to do or not to
do service work.

Service work puts us in a space where, from the
start, it is no longer easy to exert our own will because we are
working with others. It gives us the opportunity to notice when we are
exerting our own will, and to practice letting go and trusting in a
Higher Power. It is a visible, tangible, undeniable declaration of our
desire to put recovery on the fast track.

One of the things that
make service work particularly challenging is that not all people who
do service work are willing or able to confront and work through their
own issues. As a result there are times that doing service work can be
really trying. This gives us another truly valuable opportunity to work
our program – it gives us the opportunity to learn to accept others as
they are and to find serenity even when circumstances are frustrating.

Service
work is NOT about being in control. It is actually about realizing that
we are NOT in control and learning how to function without the need for
control, while also learning to truly trust that our Higher Power knows
and wants what is best for us and for CoDA. Service work IS about being
open to new opportunities while also learning how to set and enforce
boundaries in a healthy and loving way. It gives us a forum in which to
determine what our boundaries really are in a safer environment than
most of us are used to.