phone calls

I have seen that phone calls are an effective tool for working the 12-step way of life. When I first got abstinent, besides calling my sponsor every day at a specific time, I found it necessary to call other food addicts to help and support me in the journey towards recovery.

I remember calling a friend in program almost everyday around 10AM, saying, "Is it lunch time yet?" We'd laugh, knowing that we still had hours to go, BUT we both wanted to eat. To eat regular meals at regular times was a new experience for me. ("Regular meals" being weighed and measured--nutritionally sound meals, without sugar and flour).

At first it was not easy to reach out to people who I didn't know, but in a matter of days, I grew to understand and appreciate that we were all in the same boat. Some of the people who I called were a little more advanced in their understanding of food addiction and the 12-Steps, and some were behind me, but as individuals striving for abstinence, we shared (and still share) up to the level of our experiences. We share our experience, strength and hope.

I have often heard people say that others are "Jesus with skin on." My hope and prayer is to be that for others, but it's a tall order. Please, God, use me to love others as you love me...