The Lord has been showing me He is bigger than I ever imagined. I just moved to Nashville from Pennsylvania, began my first "real" job, and have been placed at a church I have never attended. But God has been in all of it. I have been reading Deuteronomy, and this morning, I read chapter 31, verse 8, which reminds me of how I have seen God here.

“The LORD himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.”

— Deuteronomy 31:8

Host Family

God is so much bigger than I imagined. He was waiting for me in the South, preparing the place before I arrived. He has blessed me with a wonderful host family and their two dogs. They are graciously caring for and providing for me during my Fellows year.

Work

He has brought me to a fantastic job full of people passionate about following Jesus and setting me up for success. They go out of their way to reach out to me and invite me into their tasks. One guy invited me to his Monday morning workouts/devotional time with a group of young adult men. I am amazed by the faith in the workplace. Each day, I have the opportunity to talk about Jesus with my co-workers. What a blessing from God, especially since I was and still am very nervous.

I have had part-time jobs, but this is a new chapter in my life where I am a full-time employee in my college field. Previously, my work experience has been making tacos or working at summer camp. So, working at a commercial real estate company is a little different. I am so grateful for Charles Hawkins Company and how they care for me as an employee and a child of God.

Class

In our Monday class, we just finished reading Every Good Endeavor by Tim Keller about being a Christian in the workplace. I have found it beautiful and inspiring that we have a God who works and is at work to this very day (John 5:17). Even in the garden of Eden, we learn that though we are created for work, we are not to find our identity in it but to serve others and work as we are working to the Lord (Colossians 3:23-24).

Church

God has also blessed me to be a part of a wonderful church, St George's Episcopal Church. I didn't know what to expect because I had never attended a church in the Anglican tradition. The liturgical style of worship and emphasis on Holy Communion was very foreign to me. Yet the moment I walked into the church, I was blown away by how tangible the presence of the Holy Spirit is there. God confronted how I had metaphorically placed Him in a box about drawing near to His presence. Here I was in a style of worship that differed from what I had known, yet the Lord was there. He is way bigger than I could ever imagine, and there are ways to worship Him that I had not even imagined! When we went through the first liturgy, it nearly brought me to tears how beautiful it was with all the Lord's people collectively proclaiming our love to Him! I have enjoyed talking to clergy and volunteers about the service, who said that we don't simply sit and watch but play an active role in the liturgy. The congregation stands, sits, kneels, sings, speaks, prays, greets, listens, reads, responds, shakes hands, breaks bread, eats, and drinks together. To top it all off, the Nashville Fellows Program gave us a copy of Every Moment Holy, a book of liturgies for everyday moments.

I also help the junior and senior boys in the St. George’s youth group. They have blown me away with their humor, love for one another, and the depth of their hearts. After youth group, we often stay and play basketball and go out for food. On Sunday mornings, I also help teach the 7th graders and have gotten to see the joy and energy of these children.

Old Friends

Class 11 gather in the kitchen for their first Roundtable. Fellows take turns each week cooking, cleaning, and giving their testimony. This year, we are very grateful to Rachel and Aaron White for allowing us to use their home for Roundtable!

God has reunited me with some dear old friends who live in Nashville, which has been a delight. I leave smiling, laughing, and with a full heart whenever I see them, knowing I am the Lord's beloved. I have also experienced this in the other aspects of the program: work, church, class, and youth group.

The Fellowship

God has also given me the gift that is the community of fellows, or as my dad calls it, the "Fellowship," which, I add, is the ship that never sinks. "God is faithful who has called you into fellowship with His Son, Jesus Christ, our Lord" (1 Corinthians 1:9). These people have been a joy. I have already loved getting to know them and eagerly await the budding branches of these relationships. We have already experienced great times together, including hikes, coffee, food, games, classes, thrifting, books, singing Christmas carols, movies, ministry, trips, runs, delightful conversations, and (of course) more games!

Praise the King who has lavished His great love on me. "Who am I, Sovereign LORD, and what is my family, that you have brought me this far?" (2 Samuel 7:18). God, you have richly blessed me. I am beyond grateful.

Please pray for continued growth in the "Fellowship," diligence and service in work, and ways to give my life away to the youth at St. G's. Amen.

Alex Nelson, Class 11
Home town: Hermitage, Pennsylvania
Graduate of Penn State

God is Bigger