Renewal Story: Steven

On a cold February night under a bridge, Steven looked back on his life and saw years of drug abuse, alcoholism and crime.

Homeless for the past four years and alone except for his dog, King, he looked ahead and saw nothing to live for. “I had a propane heater. All I had to do was go to sleep – keep it running and never wake up. That’s when I said, ‘No Lord!’”

That spark of desperate hope led Steven to Union Gospel Mission of Tarrant County. His first encounter with the Mission was when he walked through our doors. He had no idea what to expect. “What I got was understanding, love, friendship and all of the good things that I had shoved out of my life over the years!" 

Those good things have kept Steven sober for longer than he’s ever been in 50 years. “I liked my drugs and drinking more than I liked life,” he admits. “It’s dawned on me now that I like life a whole lot! It’s like a spiritual awakening. It gets stronger as each day goes by.”

His faithful friend King has a new home, but Steven still has a pet of sorts that keeps his spirits up. “I’ve got my own blue jay out there! He comes and sees me when I’m feeling blue. Once or twice now when I’m feeling sorry for myself, all of a sudden there’s this blue jay sitting there and looking up at me. I’ve got to shoot my head up to God and say, ‘Okay, I got you!’” 

Since being at UGM-TC, Steven finally feels like he has a future. “I realize that there’s light at the end of the tunnel. When people tell me that I have a purpose, I believe it.” After he graduates from the program, Steven would like to go back to school and complete his horticulture degree.

“I know that as long as I take two steps forward and not three steps back that there’s always something positive ahead of me!”

Will you help friends like Steven they believe they have a future again by scheduling a North Texas Giving Day gift today? All donations scheduled from now until the 13^th or made between 6am and midnight on September 14^th, will qualify for bonus funds for UGM-TC. Every dollar raised will go directly towards helping neighbors in need at UGM-TC. Schedule your donation now.