Hello again! Wow, we are officially in the swing of things. The air is getting cooler (only in the mornings though…), pumpkin spice is everywhere, and I’m assigned more reading than I’ve probably done in my entire life. 2 months in, Fellows is still a gift that I’m not sure what I did to deserve. The opportunity to grow my faith, skills, and knowledge in such a supportive and encouraging environment is a blessing I try to never take for granted. That being said, October has not been short on challenges! Unfortunately, the event that encapsulates this month in my head is a serious car accident I was in on Friday, October 9. I left class at the church the minute it ended in efforts to make my flight at RDU to see Harry Styles in New York that very night. The rushing and mix of excitement and stress had me distracted, and when that classic Raleigh build-up of traffic came out of nowhere, I slammed on my breaks, but not quickly enough to prevent my beloved 2014 Honda Accord from getting crumpled like a piece of paper by the huge flatbed trailer I was behind. The worst injury that resulted, besides some slight emotional trauma, was a second-degree burn on my left forearm, a friction abrasion from the airbag rapidly deploying on impact. Given the severity of the accident, it was honestly a miracle no one was hurt worse. Over the last few weeks as I tended to my wound and watched it heal, I was fascinated by my body’s ability to completely repair itself with minimal conscious effort from me. There’s now a completely new layer of skin with no scabbing or peeling, only discriminable by its pale color next to the rest of the tanned skin on my arm. We really can see God in everything!
I also saw the Lord’s provision in this by the support I received. Even before my mom, the first person I called after the accident was Ashley. Not only did she show up within minutes and help me move my car out of the road and talk to all the people involved, but one by one, 3 more fellows showed up to give me hugs, make me laugh, and help transfer the egregious amount of craft supplies stowed in my trunk. Right when the accident happened, I thought there was no way I was going to the concert that night. Part of my distress when Ashley showed up was that all the money spent on flights, hotels, and the tickets was wasted. But no, she and the other girls said I was getting to that airport and put off their own travels to Dockology to help me make my flight on time. And I did see Harry that night! It was maybe the most extreme low low to high high I’ve experienced in a single day 🤣
There were other low moments of October. I shed a lot of tears in a lot of inconvenient moments. I was challenged to share vulnerabilities with my fellow Fellows that I wanted to keep hidden to maintain a certain image. Work was hard and I was often so exhausted I couldn’t think of anything but taking a nap. And in all of this - joy prevailed. While sitting in the very real results of sin and brokenness, I was comforted by a Savior who came to die that I may live, and by His children who surround me with love and grace. I don’t anticipate this being an easy 9 months. I am a girl who loves to sleep and loves to craft and have not had time to do either as much as I would like. But I count every trial as joy, because in every unknown, I am sure that my Father is growing my awareness of Him and my closeness to Him as I abide. It is a gift to be broken down that I may be built back up in whatever way He chooses, that looks less like what I want and more like what He originally designed for me in the Garden. So bring it on, November; I sure hope you bring less challenges, but if not, I can’t wait to see what God does with them.
- Caroline Davis
