Maybe it’s Covid, or the recent death of my dear sister-in-law, or taking on two service positions for the upcoming year, but I’ve been thinking a lot about Helen F.
Helen was already a long-time member of OA when I joined in 1983. She was one of the incorporators of our Intergroup in 1981, and I don’t think there was an intergroup position that she didn’t hold at one time or another. Helen was all about service—with a capital S.
For years, she had a second telephone line in her home for the OA hot-line and never failed to take a call or return one, whether it was a newcomer or a current member who needed her.
I remember one time, shopping at Costco and being totally overwhelmed by all the samples that demonstrators were urging me to try. Like a beacon of light, I saw Helen and made a mad dash to get to her before she disappeared in the crowds. That was Helen, an OA member who was calm and calming, a fount of OA knowledge and practical advice, a woman of great spiritual depth. I could never count the number of times that Helen said “God will provide,” and he did, and I believed that he would because Helen said so.
A member at a recent Intergroup meeting said that Service is gratitude in action. I like that statement. Helen was gratitude in action. She gave her all for the Fellowship in sponsorship, meeting attendance, telephone outreach, taking on service positions—anything and everything that needed to be done.
As Helen aged and was no longer able to give service, she still showed up at her committed meetings and Intergroup meetings. Her calm, loving presence was Service.
I still miss Helen, but am grateful for her and often when I’m feeling fear or anxiety and I open my mind for an intuitive thought, I can almost hear her voice telling me, “God will provide.”
Paula Z. – Region One
PLEASE DO NOT INCLUDE LAST NAME IN BLOG POST COMMENTS.
Helen was already a long-time member of OA when I joined in 1983. She was one of the incorporators of our Intergroup in 1981, and I don’t think there was an intergroup position that she didn’t hold at one time or another. Helen was all about service—with a capital S.
For years, she had a second telephone line in her home for the OA hot-line and never failed to take a call or return one, whether it was a newcomer or a current member who needed her.
I remember one time, shopping at Costco and being totally overwhelmed by all the samples that demonstrators were urging me to try. Like a beacon of light, I saw Helen and made a mad dash to get to her before she disappeared in the crowds. That was Helen, an OA member who was calm and calming, a fount of OA knowledge and practical advice, a woman of great spiritual depth. I could never count the number of times that Helen said “God will provide,” and he did, and I believed that he would because Helen said so.
A member at a recent Intergroup meeting said that Service is gratitude in action. I like that statement. Helen was gratitude in action. She gave her all for the Fellowship in sponsorship, meeting attendance, telephone outreach, taking on service positions—anything and everything that needed to be done.
As Helen aged and was no longer able to give service, she still showed up at her committed meetings and Intergroup meetings. Her calm, loving presence was Service.
I still miss Helen, but am grateful for her and often when I’m feeling fear or anxiety and I open my mind for an intuitive thought, I can almost hear her voice telling me, “God will provide.”
Paula Z. – Region One
PLEASE DO NOT INCLUDE LAST NAME IN BLOG POST COMMENTS.
