By Payton Williamson
Class of 2023
Hello Charlotte Fellows blog and a belated hello to 2023! I still haven’t wrapped my head around the fact that it is already 2023 and we are halfway through the fellows program. If I think about it for too long I’ll get sad, so for now we will just ignore this and focus on the good.
The past six months have sort of felt like learning to ride a bike. The training wheels are off, but there is still someone there to catch you when you fall. The Charlotte Fellows Program has allowed each of us the time to discern what the Lord is calling us to and welcomed us into a community that is ready to support us.
As the training wheels have come off, many people have taken the time to walk alongside us and teach us many valuable lessons. I figured there was no better way to impart their wisdom on others than through this blog! With that being said, here is a short list of some of things I have learned since being a fellow.
There is much mercy.
Thank you Bailey {co-fellow} and Ham family {host family} for this reminder! It is easy to feel like there is one answer for everything and that God and others won’t show us mercy for the mishaps. He is a God of much mercy and grace.
There is no better analogy for the kingdom of God than an acorn.
We have the opportunity to take two classes through Reformed Theological Seminary. The first class was with Dr. Rod Culbertson, and we learned about God’s redemptive promise throughout all of history. The analogy he used was that God’s promise to Abraham (Genesis 12:1-3) was like an acorn, and that it would one day grow to be an oak tree. Thank you Dr. Rod! We loved seeing all the progress made over history to accomplish God’s redemptive purposes.
We are all sinners in need of a Savior.
Recently, a common theme in conversation among the group has been the growing awareness surrounding our sin. I myself have noticed that it is easy for me to grow complacent in my faith and not realize my own brokenness. I have spent the past six months wrestling with sin I did not know was in my heart, wrestling with the fact that more often than not, I live with a works-based mindset, and seeing the need for repentance more than ever before.
Learning your way around a new city is harder than expected.
I would not be surprised if Apple Maps is the app I spend most of my time on.
God is not surprised.
If you haven’t met the Guthries, you need to! Cindy and Dave Guthrie are friends of the fellows that have become somewhat vital to the group. They have cooked for us at retreats, opened up their home for a Bible study on Monday mornings, and spent time pouring into us all individually. McKenzie {co-fellow} brought up the fact that upon coming to Charlotte we were somewhat prepared for what the program would hold, who we would live with, who we would do the program with, etc. However, we didn’t know that we would get Cindy and Dave - what a surprise! Cindy simply replied, “We may be surprised, but God isn’t surprised.” I could do a whole other blog about how this statement has sent us all into reflection, but I’ll leave it at this: there is so much uncertainty here on Earth, but we have a God who knows our steps before we even take them. We can take comfort knowing that he is ready for the next “surprise” in our life.
Secret Hitler is fun, but is it worth it?
This may be my favorite game ever, but we are learning that lines can be blurred between the game and real life. Secret Hitler may just bring out the worst in people, so we are open to options for new games to play as a group!
Friendships look different.
Adding this one even though it feels like I haven’t quite grasped it because man is it the truth! In college, I got the chance to do life so closely with some of my very best friends. Now, I have to drive at least four hours to see some of them. I am learning that it is okay to not know every detail of each other’s lives. Community changes, but thankfully we have modern technology to keep up with old friends while we make new ones.
It really is okay to not know.
This year has consisted of many conversations about the future. It is hard not to get caught up in finding the perfect job and wanting to know exactly where we’ll be in five years. It is also easy to find ourselves hoping for so many different things that we suddenly are relying on ourselves instead of God. If I have learned one thing, it is that God knows and that’s what matters. If someone told 17 year old Payton that she would be living in Charlotte after college and love it enough to stay, she would laugh. So really, it’s going to be okay!
The training wheels are coming off, but there is comfort in the unknown that lies ahead.