Thanks for an excellent post once again, Ron.
I used to be concerned thinking that I was doing something wrong when I would hear people talk about sponsoring others. Some of these people were only 6 months sober. It seemed like everyone but me was sponsoring someone. I couldn't figure out why no one had asked me to be their sponsor. It was only when I quit worrying about such things and faced the fact that service work comes in many forms not just sponsorship that someone approached me to sponsor them.
I think that in the long run the experience was a good one as it forced humility on me as well as helped me gain respect for those that do the work with others without the "glory" of being a sponsor by:
- being at the meetings to ensure the newcomer has a place to come to
- participating in 12 Step calls
- Sharing their ESH in meetings
- Participating in their Home Group business meetings to help ensure the meeting meets the primary purpose of helping the newcomer
- going into the jails and sharing their ESH
- working on the AA phone lines
- and so much more that is a behind the scenes working with others
Today, I don't worry anymore about what I might be doing wrong because people are not beating down my door to sponsor them. The sponsees that I work with are doing well and working hard on their sobriety and I continue to do the behind the scenes service work that I learned to do while waiting.