By Kim Porter, Community Manager
One of the greatest promises I’ve experienced in recovery is found in the Twelfth Step: “Having had a spiritual awakening as the result of these steps.” I didn’t fully understand what that meant when I first read it. I assumed a spiritual awakening would be something dramatic or obvious. What I’ve come to learn is that my awakening showed up quietly, through changed thoughts, different reactions, and a freedom from the obsession with alcohol that once ruled my life.
At its core, this awakening has been a psychic change—a shift in how I see myself, others, and God. It didn’t make my life perfect, but it made it purposeful.
A Spiritual Awakening
For me, a spiritual awakening has looked like a complete change in motivation. I moved from living with the constant question, “What can I get out of life?” to asking, “How can I be useful?” That shift alone changed everything.
Recovery gave me access to a life I never thought I’d have. I can go places, show up for people, and participate in life in ways that were once impossible. But I’ve learned that freedom comes with responsibility. Because I am recovered, I now have an obligation—not out of guilt or pressure, but out of gratitude—to carry the message to the alcoholic who still suffers.
I don’t always feel “spiritual,” but I do feel different. I am no longer running the show, and that surrender has brought a sense of peace I never knew before.
Carrying the Message
The Big Book says, “Nothing so much will ensure immunity from drinking as intensive work with other alcoholics.” I’ve found this to be profoundly true. There is something life-giving about sitting across from another alcoholic and saying, “I’ve been there.”
When I first started carrying the message, I was nervous. I worried about saying the wrong thing or not knowing enough. What I’ve learned is that my job isn’t to have the answers—it’s to be willing and honest. Sharing my experience, strength, and hope creates connection, and connection is where recovery begins.
Sponsorship, in particular, has changed me. When a sponsee calls, my attention shifts away from my own problems and onto how I can be helpful. That simple act pulls me out of self-centered thinking. More often than not, I end up saying exactly what I need to hear myself. Sponsorship keeps me grounded, accountable, and actively practicing the program rather than just talking about it.
Through service and working with others, the first eleven steps continue to clear away the things that block me from God and from usefulness. I’ve learned that I can’t make anyone willing. I can’t save anyone. My responsibility is to walk someone through the Twelve Steps and offer them a path to a spiritual awakening. What they do with that path is between them and God.
The real miracle is that I get to do this. I get to show up for another alcoholic. There was a time when I couldn’t even show up for myself. The fact that I’m alive, sober, and useful today still amazes me.
Practicing These Principles in All My Affairs
The Twelfth Step doesn’t stop at meetings or sponsorship—it shows up in my everyday life. At home, at work, and in my relationships, I now have tools that help me live differently, but only if I use them.
Practicing these principles means I pause instead of react. I admit when I’m wrong. I try to be honest, patient, and kind—even when it’s uncomfortable. It means staying spiritually connected in the middle of busy days, difficult conversations, and imperfect circumstances.
I’m learning that recovery isn’t just about not drinking. It’s about living a life guided by principles, grounded in service, and shaped by a spiritual awakening that continues to grow.
Alcoholics Anonymous: The story of how many thousands of men and women have recovered from alcoholism. (4th ed.). (2001). Alcoholics Anonymous World Services.
