By Lizzy Swoboda
Running track was never an interest of mine; I could never reconcile why someone might train for the very thing that was every other sports’ punishment. Not to mention, the majority of the races are over in literal seconds - hours and hours of work for a quick moment. Yet, the idea of running a race has been on my mind a lot lately. Everyone told me that Capital Fellows would be a sprint, and wow, they weren’t wrong. It provides a lot of relationships and a lot of thoughts in a short amount of time, and as we have transitioned into the part of the program that focuses on the future, I have been confronted with the reality that all of life is a sprint. It is full, and it is fast.
This idea took on a whole new meaning for me on Monday when John Richmond, the former U.S. Ambassador-at-Large to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons, came and spoke to our cohort. He himself has left a wonderful legacy, yet the point he proceeded to make was that legacy should not be our goal. He noted that Ambassadors, too, take part in a form of relay race - with baton passing and all. Ambassadors are to carry a baton and run, though not for their own glory. Their ultimate aim is to leave their successor at a better starting point – and trust them to run well. We, as God’s ambassadors, are called to do the same thing. Leaving our own legacy is too narrow of a mindset; we are living as a small portion of God’s larger and supreme legacy. Our little sprints – that truthfully do feel like everything at the time – are merely one small leg in the larger marathon that is God’s redemptive work in His creation.
This simple thought has helped me reframe my goals for the future: my name will be forgotten, but I can pass my baton off well so that the Lord’s is not. Capital Fellows has both equipped me to do this, and helped me realize how good of a baton I was given in the first place. I think of my grandfather, who turned 95 this week, and how he has taught me about integrity. My parents, who taught me to remain devoted to conviction. McLean Presbyterian Church, which reflects the body of Christ in action. And the directors and peers in this program, who challenge me in thought and deed. This season has been such a blessing, and I will forever run better because of it.
“Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith.” — Hebrews 12: 1-2
Pictures from the Week
Birthday Girl!
Best bagels ever!
Capital Fellows mentor and guest speaker, Lucy Treene, gives Anna J. a George Washington PA sweatshirt from when she graduated
Life and Leadership with special guest: Dr. Karen Swallow Prior, author of On Reading Well
Know a Potential Capital Fellow?
If you know a college student that should consider joining the Capital Fellows program, please encourage them to get in touch with us. The easiest way to express interest in the program is our Contact Us Form.
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.
Pray for the Capital Fellows
Thank you for praying for the Capital Fellows each week!
February is upon us. That means seminary classes are starting again and that the job search is in full swing for the fellows. Please pray for them as they return to the normal weekly rhythm of the program. Also, in January, we had many encouraging and inspiring guest speakers. Please pray for our wonderful guest speakers who are willing to come, many of them year after year, to speak with the Capital Fellows.
Want to pray for the Capital Fellows in an ongoing way? Download this handy prayer guide for your phone or tablet.
About The Fellows Initiative
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 3,000 alumni living around the world, and more Fellows programs on the way.
If you know a church in the US or Canada that would benefit from joining TFI by launching a new Fellows program. Please contact TFI by visiting their website.
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