First Impressions

Journal Prompt

How was your first day? What stood out to you?

My Thoughts

My first day was good. As tired as I feel my body is, I am feeling lighter than how I felt when today began. The challenges we were given did not test me in the ways I was expecting. I realized I've grown in a lot of the ways that I previously was immature in. All day I was way more flexible than I expected and I kept a good, positive attitude while enduring the challenges. Maybe it helps that I have some level of comfortability with summer internship, the structure of it, and the leaders, but mostly I am attributing my ability to be flexible and a natural team leader to God’s development in me. 

We played such an unfair soccer game against a team that had everything we didn't have to win. I learned a great amount through this experience. We were trying to play like we were them, but we weren't. I learned lessons on playing as the team YOU are. I learned a lesson from Mr. Garner about how the powerful play by the rules and make the rules. Making it impossible for the poor and needy to have an upper hand at all, or simply have basic rights to life that God wants them to have without moving around the rules and breaking them. The experience made me feel weak and helpless against a team that was powerful. Our team was not used to feeling that way because societally we are the powerful. We are so used to winning that we tried to play like winners of a game we had no power in. I really was refreshed by that game, even though I was feeling discouraged when we lost. 

If any part of the day has tested me, it's right now. It's midnight and I'm just very tired. We just finished an hours-long worship and bible study time and then moved to service projects on campus…but here I am. Doing my best to stay prayerful and God truly is helping me. Mentally, I can tell he is keeping his word and spirit on the forefront of my mind to create a buffer of patience and surrender as I continue to feel my body getting weaker.