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Conference Theme: Service a Spiritual Gift.
I believe that we are spiritual beings having a Human experience, and as such serving others and this fellowship is truly a gift from our higher power and a privilege.
It has been my experience through the short time in the fellowship that I have observed the following observations and changes in the Character and life in different degrees and at different times through my journey in myself and other members.
A serving member’s basics motivational drive is to demonstrate love by meeting practical needs. A server is diligent and willing to sacrifice his or her time and energy in order to complete a task.
1. A server expresses himself or herself most satisfactorily by doing tangible work. He or She serves by doing, not by explaining or teaching or discussing or giving or organizing, though he or she may do some or all of those things.
2. Servers prefer short-term tasks. Because their spiritual fulfilment comes from completing a task, they like projects that have beginnings and endings that can be acknowledged.
3. A server will often volunteer to serve in fellowship related or group-related projects and you can count on him or her to be the people who are still around at the end of the project, to see it through to completion.
4. Servers would rather carry out responsibilities themselves, and be done with them, than assigning tasks to someone else.
5. They are the ones washing dishes after we’ve gone home. They are the ones putting up the chairs while others crawl over them to exit. They are the ones who ask if they can help carry or clean or deliver while everyone else is in their cars heading home. They enjoy the party best if they’re in the kitchen or at the Barbecue or handing out the food. Some people want to be served. They want to serve.
A Server’s Strengths,
1. Servers tend to be one-man armies.
2. Our Higher power seems to give special grace to servers to exercise humility, especially when it comes to doing menial chores.
3. Availability is one of the server’s strongest character qualities. He or she almost never says no when asked to help others.
4. Order is essential for a server. However, he or she will sacrifice order temporarily if it is necessary to get the job done.
5. Servers have a God-given strength to do physical tasks. You’d better get out of their way when they are around.
Server’s Weaknesses:
1. Servers constantly have to deal with the temptation to become over-committed, which can lead to stress and frustration for them and for their families.
2. Servers easily can become frustrated by time limitations. If those frustrations get carried into the arena of personalities, their relationships with others may suffer.
3. If a server feels unappreciated, he or she can quickly become bitter or resentful.
4. The server’s desire to serve makes him or her poor delegators and sometimes even a poor co-worker. Servers work best when they can fulfil a responsibility on their own, without having to depend on others, who usually are not as diligent or loyal as they are.
5. Sometimes servers get their priorities out of order because they are so tuned in to physical needs. Consequently, spiritual priorities may take a back seat, at least temporarily. Given a choice of leading a AA meeting or cleaning the home of someone who is in the hospital, a server would usually choose to clean the home.
6. Severs tend to be demanding of others who are supposed to be helping-but aren’t. They have disdained for people who are lazy or uncommitted and don’t like to work with them.
7. Servers tend to be perfectionists. They can drive the rest of us crazy because they want to cover all the bases-even ones we think are unimportant.
8. If a server has been pouring his life out for others and feels misunderstood or unappreciated, he or she can easily be tempted with thoughts of rebellion or jealousy.
Character Qualities:
Alertness vs. Unawareness.
Availability vs. Self-Centeredness.
Endurance vs. Giving up.
Flexibility vs. Resistance.
Generosity vs. Stinginess.
Hospitality vs. Loneliness.
Joyfulness vs. self-Pity.
It is quite obvious from what I have outlined that these are some of the qualities that this wonderful fellowship has been founded on and continues to keep it strong and healthy, it surrounds us in this room today and will carry it into the future. Spirituality is the Foundation and Corner stone of this fellowship and service is the keystone that keeps us together.
Yours in Service,
Ian Payne
Delegate Area A North Eastern Region Panel 54.
