Progress in the Process - Davis Wright

If you want to be inspired, watch a compilation of people crossing the finish line of the New York City Marathon. 

The runners are crying. The spectators are still rowdy despite being camped out for hours cheering. Even the person giving out the medals is emotional. Why is the finish line such a magical place? I would argue that it is not about simply celebrating the runners spending hours that day on the course and making it to the end, but because of everything that came before it. 

For me, a marathon was like Mount Everest. Something so big and intimidating that it seems impossible. I was overweight in high school and couldn’t jog one mile, much less twenty-six plus. I have a vivid memory of throwing up after running half a mile and then walking the rest of a 5K race my freshman year. Even though I was more active in my first years in college, I still had near-zero discipline and spent my free time going to parties and sleeping in. But then things started changing. I started doing hard things. It started with the little things like waking up earlier and eating healthy. Then those things snowballed and I started running consistently. My goal wasn’t to run a marathon, it was just to do hard things and push myself. But eventually, after a LOT of hard work, I found myself at the finish line of the Oklahoma City Marathon. 

You can replace marathon with anything that requires doing hard things. We can all agree: there is progress in the process. Doing hard things produces growth. Sometimes you see it along the way. Sometimes you see it at the finish line. But you always, without fail, come out the other side stronger. 

The Fellowship is a hard thing. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve made some of the most fun memories of my life in this short time and love getting to do it with my best friends. Not every day is hard. We have a lot of fun and every day is something new. But the Fellowship as a whole is hard. We work early mornings and late nights. There are days my head hits the pillow exhausted and I don't want to get up and do it all again the next day. But through this process, I am blown away by the ways I’ve grown. I’ve learned to lean on the Lord and not myself or others. I’ve learned to appreciate God’s Word in ways I never had before. I’ve learned that there is joy in serving others and ways to seek out opportunities to do so. The person I was at the start of the Fellowship would be proud of the person I am now. 

When I was handed the medal at the finish line in Oklahoma City, I was overcome with emotion as memories flooded in. I thought back to high school when I couldn’t finish a 5K. I thought back to my freshman year of college when I spent my nights with the wrong people on the wrong path. I thought back to the night before, when I was wide awake scared I couldn’t make it. The hours spent running the marathon were hard, but the accomplishment wasn’t finishing a hard run. The accomplishment was in the process. 

The Fellowship is a process. It will refine you in ways you didn’t even know you needed to be refined. Thankfully, you’re not doing it by yourself. You are consistently being poured into throughout the year. There is an incredible community at Sky Ranch. We are paired with a mentor who pours into us throughout the year, and there is an Old Testament and New Testament survey class where we dive into the Word each week. It is a challenging year, but it is a time to grow and you are set up to take advantage of it. Don’t do the Fellowship because it's an easy year hanging out at camp. Do the Fellowship because you want to grow, and in order to grow, we do hard things. 

Thank you for taking the time to read this! If you are considering doing the Fellowship, I would encourage you to apply! It really is the greatest job on earth. 

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