Drinking Water, From a Firehose
- Capital Fellows
- 5 hours ago
- 4 min read
By Joshua Cheng
Not too long ago, John Kyle mentioned that we were just over 10% of the way through the program. Now, as of October 29, 2025, we’ve reached about 25%. It feels odd—so much life has already been lived in these two months that it feels like time should be moving faster. Yet I know that soon enough, we’ll be nearing the end and wishing it would slow down.
This past Monday, we had our Autumn Silent Retreat. The very first sentence of our retreat guide, written by JK, read: “Welcome to the practice of silence and stillness.” I was looking forward to this much-needed quiet. During my time in Richmond, I made it a habit to dedicate my Saturday mornings as uninterrupted time with God, moments to pause, reflect on the past week, and simply be present. This weekly rhythm of silence and stillness became a way for me to “take a breather” from work and notice God’s hand over my life—things I might have otherwise overlooked. At our Kickoff Retreat, we were told that this year would feel like “drinking water from a fire hose,” and I’ve felt that lately. This retreat was a good chance to stop and rediscover that rhythm of rest.
In the stillness, I was reminded of Martin Luther King Jr.’s words:
“Death is not a period that ends the great sentence of life, but a comma that punctuates it to more lofty significance. Death is not a blind alley that leads the human race into a state of nothingness, but an open door which leads man into life eternal.”
His words made me reflect on how limited our time is—both in life and in my season at Capital Fellows. A comma holds two clauses together; it pauses the sentence without ending it. I see my time here that way. Each day, each week, is a pause—a comma—linking what has already happened with what is yet to come. Our days in this program are limited, yet not final. Even as this year moves quickly and moments of rest feel fleeting, I’m reminded that our time isn’t simply running out—it’s running forward, linked to eternity.
Hebrews 4:8-11 (ESV) says,
“For if Joshua had given them rest, God would not have spoken of another day later on. So then, there remains a Sabbath rest for the people of God, for whoever has entered God’s rest has also rested from his works as God did from his. Let us therefore strive to enter that rest, so that no one may fall by the same sort of disobedience.”
This chapter captured my heart this past Monday. I was reminded that the rest I long for—like the Sabbath rest the author of Hebrews describes—is not just a physical one, but a spiritual one. While the ultimate rest is in eternity with Christ, I was reminded that I can catch small glimpses of it here on earth—a slowing of my heart, noticing God’s sovereign hand in the midst of drinking from a fire hose.
I want to carry that perspective into the rest of my time at Capital Fellows. I don’t want to rush or take these months for granted. I want to work hard, reflect intentionally, and rest when I can, noticing God’s presence in both the busy stretches and the pauses. The time is limited, but it’s also part of something bigger—and I want to live it that way.
Josh Cheng is a member of the Capital Fellows class of 2025-26. He is from Burke, VA, and is a graduate of Virginia Tech. This year, he is working at Everfox in Herndon, VA.
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About Capital Fellows. Capital Fellows is an advanced leadership and discipleship program for recent college graduates. Through graduate courses, a paid internship, one-on-one mentoring, and many leadership and community service opportunities, fellows develop and apply their gifts in real-world situations while learning to integrate a Christian worldview into all areas of life. Capital Fellows is a unique opportunity to live and work in the Washington DC area and to be an active member of a supportive community that seeks to serve the city with the love of Christ. It is also a unique opportunity to get hands-on experience in the workplace while deeply exploring God’s design for us as workers and contributors to human flourishing.
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The Capital Fellows are at the 19th TFI National Fellows Conference this weekend, hosted this year at our very own McLean Presbyterian Church. Please pray that the messages on vocation, justice, and mercy enable them to grow in their walk with the Lord and in their work as servant leaders. And please pray for safety for the Capital Fellows, as well as all the other Fellows from other programs, traveling throughout the D.M.V. area this weekend for the conference.
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Capital Fellows is part of a network of similar programs across the country. This network is called The Fellows Initiative. There are 34 Fellows programs in TFI, roughly 3,200 alumni living around the world, and more Fellows programs on the way.
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