God's at work...

In 2006, I had volunteered in a rehabilitation center of alcoholics. I wanted to dedicate myself to help others to achieve sobriety.


One night, at the close of the Tuesday meeting for newcomers, we got a call from the landlady of a transients’ hotel in a part of the town known as Paradise hotel, “would someone come & talk to a woman lying drunk in one of the rooms?”

Two of us volunteered to go. When we reached the hotel, we were led to a squalid little room where a grizzled old woman lay on the bed in a stupor. What’s the use of talking to this woman at all? I wondered. But my partner, an old hand at such visits, patiently talked to the semi-conscious form on the bed. She explained that she herself has once been considered a hopeless drunk- but that by turning her life & will over to a Higher Power, she had gained both sobriety & serenity. “I’m leaving my card”, my partner said. “I’d like you to attend a meeting at this address”.

“That was real waste of time”, I grumbled as we departed.

“You never know”, my partner said cheerfully.”God’s at work”.

At our next meeting, a shaky but sober young lady came up to us.”Thank you for coming to Paradise hotel that night”, she said.”You saved my life”.

We stared in astonishment. “We saw the old woman on that bed very clearly”, my partner replied, “It wasn’t you”.

“That’s right”, the young lady said holding out the card we had left,” But I heard every word you said, I was under the bed”.