By Lucas Anders
Class of 2023
The Charlotte Fellows Program is full of opportunities for us to serve in our community. Whether it be through our not-for-profit exposure, work in our churches, or volunteering at schools, there are many ways that we can serve. But it can be easy to forget how often people are serving us in this season of life.
I started to think about this during our winter retreat earlier in January. We have this amazing couple, Dave and Cindy Guthrie, who have committed to our program in countless ways. They currently lead a bible study on Monday mornings, cook delicious meals, play pickleball with us, and are always graciously opening their home. I couldn’t make sense of why they would do all of this for us, and with such joy. But Dave said something on the last night of our retreat that really stuck with me. He told us about how he saw the impact of the program on others and that he and Cindy felt called to invest in this program after moving to Charlotte. But ultimately Dave left us with a piece of wisdom: When you are blessed, you pay it forward.
The Guthries felt blessed in seeing one of their children go through a Fellows program, so they decided to pay it forward by serving us. There are countless more examples that we as fellows can draw upon this year. Our host families, mentors, professional development team, professors, past fellows, and director are all serving us in different ways. But I would venture to say that they all have the desire to serve and are uniquely equipped because of the people who poured into their lives and served them over the years.
Lessons in servanthood can be found in different times throughout Jesus’ life and ministry. In John 13, Jesus takes on the role of a servant by washing his disciples’ feet. Peter was shocked by Jesus’ actions and asked him to stop because in his mind, his king and savior wouldn’t stoop to the level of a feet-washing-servant. Jesus healed the sick, raised the dead, and fed crowds of hungry people in his lifetime. Why would the Son of God make himself lowly and serve others in so many ways? Jesus was full of heavenly ability and did many miracles, but he never strove for a place of worldly power or influence.
The lesson in servanthood is that we are all called to serve. I have learned this more and more during this program, and I am so thankful that the Fellows community has shown me this in so many different ways. If our Savior used his life and ministry to serve others well, then how much more are we called to serve? It is not checking a box or adding another thing to the calendar, but instead a testament to how we have been blessed and equipped to pour into others. I am thankful for the Charlotte Fellows Program, and I love that I have so many amazing examples right in front of me to model the true heart of servanthood.