'Tis the Season(s)
- Capital Fellows
- Dec 18
- 4 min read
By Joshua Cheng
The Thanksgiving season is over and we’ve stepped into the next—drinking hot chocolate, watching the snowfall, and unapologetically blasting Christmas music. We just had our first snow day of the season during our seminary lecture day. Snow always brings this blend of joy and nostalgia for me. When I was a kid, my family took a ski trip to Vermont every year. I can still picture our 7-hour drive in the old 2002 Honda Odyssey, falling asleep on the lodge couch, waking up before sunrise, and spending the whole day on the slopes.
Those trips eventually stopped once we moved to Virginia—the drive became too long, it was harder to gather everyone, and the tradition faded. I still look back on those memories with so much joy. They remind me of how sweet certain seasons were, and at the same time, how life doesn’t stay still for long.
As I reflect on the changing seasons, I’m reminded that change shows up everywhere—new places, new routines, new friendships, unexpected turns. This Fellows year has already brought its own surprises. We’re learning, growing, being stretched, and experiencing things none of us could’ve planned for back in August.
C.S. Lewis wrote, “There are far, far better things ahead than any we leave behind.” This quote stood out to me—not as a way to minimize the things I miss, but as a reminder that God’s goodness isn’t locked in the past. The joy of old traditions doesn’t have to compete with the new gifts He’s giving me now. Both can be treasured. Change can be bitter and sweet. But even in that mixture, I’m learning that God meets us in every season. He doesn’t shift with circumstances or fade like old traditions. His character stays steady as everything else moves around us.
Hebrews 6:17-19 (ESV) says,
“So when God desired to show more convincingly to the heirs of the promise the unchangeable character of his purpose, he guaranteed it with an oath, so that by two unchangeable things, in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled for refuge might have strong encouragement to hold fast to the hope set before us. We have this as a sure and steadfast anchor of the soul, a hope that enters into the inner place behind the curtain…”
In a year full of transitions, the author of Hebrews’ words feel comforting. Everything around me may be changing—my routines, my community, my pace of life—but God doesn’t change with the seasons. His promises aren’t shifting or uncertain.
When life moves quickly, when the next season feels unclear, or when old memories tug at my heart, this passage reminds me that my hope isn’t anchored in my own sense of stability. It’s anchored in a God who keeps His word and holds every season of my life.
Happy Advent Season!
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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Thank you for praying for the Capital Fellows each week!
This is the final week of the semester for Capital Fellows Season 19! They have done well with many new aspects of life. They have papers due this week for their graduate courses. By next weekend they'll be heading home. Please pray for them as they fight off procrastination, tiredness, and the excitement of taking a much-needed break.
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