Fellowship of the Spirit

Friday night as I sat in a lawn chair listening to friends sharing ​stories of our past 4 years together and what lies ahead for us all, I became overwhelmed with gratitude. As I watched two more friends graduate and plan their move to another city I started ​to realize how a new era had begun. I was welcomed with open arms in 2010 by a group of men at The Center for Students in Recovery at The University of Texas. I had no idea that these men would soon become the foundation of my recovery, but as I sit here tonight I clearly see how special the fellowship can be.I moved to Austin not knowing a soul, completely lost, and utterly broken. I lacked purpose, had no direction, and no clue how to do the next right thing. Sitting in the back of meetings hang​ing on every word of an old timer’s share, yet still feeling completely alone. Fortunately, God directed me to a meeting at The Center for Students in Recovery that would forever change my life. Throughout my sobriety in all of the highs and all of my lows, these men stood by my side. Through relapse, failures, and triumphs in recovery I always had a place I could turn to, a place where I was able to find and build a connection with God. This wouldn’t have been possible without having found this fellowship.As a result of ​finding these men and discovering God through the 12-steps, I can sit here today truly ​grateful; ​grateful when each week passes and another from our fellowship moves on, knowing that God will place another newcomer in my path; grateful that I can open my arms and welcome him in the same way these men did for me; grateful to see how a fellowship can allow a newcomer to finally feel at home; grateful to be able to show how it is possible, no matter how far down they have gone, for every man to keep livin’ the dream.- Austin BerryDirector of Admissions at The Last Resort