Back...
I'm finishing up my summer job today. This is my last day of work at radio stations WBIW/WQRK/WQRJ. On Sunday I will pack my bags and head home. Back to my family, my room, and my wonderful friends. Back to sharing a bathroom, family dinners, and Blockbuster movies. Back to reading Narnia after dinner, bouncing on the trampoline, weird picnics with Amanda, and the money sucking world of college. Back to a church where I know people, and back to a town where I know where the one way streets are.
Back to everything familiar.
I loved this job. Things I learned here I am quite sure I never would have learned at home. I had to be jerked up and transplanted. Some of us have to get our lessons pounded into us.
I became aware of the wide variety of people that are in the world. I've always known that. But I've never been forced to interact with them. These past few weeks the average age that I've interacted with has been 40 and up. I've never had to do that before. I interact on a daily basis with ladies who are fifteen years older than me, and have experienced so much more of life. I've learned that even if you're uncomfortable, your goal should be to insure others' comfort. Even if you are unsure, you must present a calm, decided appearance. And one of the fastest ways to make friends is to laugh with a person, and listen to a person. Empathy is a very powerful tool.
I learned that there are times when you may want to talk. You may feel that you need to speak. When you see something and want to start chattering away- but you don't. Tact is something that is a hard thing to learn through experience...
If I have been taught one thing by example this summer it is generosity. The people here just give, give, give. There is no stopping them. They want to take you out for lunch, listen to your problems, buy you what you need, treat you to things you've never had before. But more importantly they give their time. They just lavish it on others. These ladies with whom I work are incredible examples of Christ-like service and sacrifice. Their goal is to put others first, and they give of their most precious possession- time. They're busy. They have mulitple things they could do for themselves, but instead they choose to spend that time and money on others. I am amazed.
But there is one lesson I have learned that I would not trade for a free year of tuition....
God is always there.
It's one of those cliche phrases that we throw around, that we casually acknowlege and dredge up in the times when we are despondent and depressed. I've always had a head knowledge of that, but never has it been real.
Nothing in the past few weeks has been what I'm accustomed to. I've been alone in a situation completely foreign to me. I had nothing I could rely on. In addition to the complete unknown of the business, the people, and what my responsiblities were, God also chose this time to point out several flaws that I needed to work on. Things I had pushed to the back, hidden by a fun social calendar and the sedentary comfort of my usual life now came into the spotlight because I had no friends, no social life, and no surity and comfort.
There was nothing but God.
Nothing to think about- but God. Nothing to dwell on- but God. No one to spend time with- but God.
So I did.
And because of this I now know my heavenly Father better than ever before.
So what have I learned this summer?
God is there.
Be not far from me, O God; come quickly, O my God, to help me. My mouth will tell of your righteousness, of your salvation all day long, though I know not its measure. My lips will shout for joy when I sing praise to you- I, whom you have redeemed. (Psalm 71)
Back to everything familiar.
I loved this job. Things I learned here I am quite sure I never would have learned at home. I had to be jerked up and transplanted. Some of us have to get our lessons pounded into us.
I became aware of the wide variety of people that are in the world. I've always known that. But I've never been forced to interact with them. These past few weeks the average age that I've interacted with has been 40 and up. I've never had to do that before. I interact on a daily basis with ladies who are fifteen years older than me, and have experienced so much more of life. I've learned that even if you're uncomfortable, your goal should be to insure others' comfort. Even if you are unsure, you must present a calm, decided appearance. And one of the fastest ways to make friends is to laugh with a person, and listen to a person. Empathy is a very powerful tool.
I learned that there are times when you may want to talk. You may feel that you need to speak. When you see something and want to start chattering away- but you don't. Tact is something that is a hard thing to learn through experience...
If I have been taught one thing by example this summer it is generosity. The people here just give, give, give. There is no stopping them. They want to take you out for lunch, listen to your problems, buy you what you need, treat you to things you've never had before. But more importantly they give their time. They just lavish it on others. These ladies with whom I work are incredible examples of Christ-like service and sacrifice. Their goal is to put others first, and they give of their most precious possession- time. They're busy. They have mulitple things they could do for themselves, but instead they choose to spend that time and money on others. I am amazed.
But there is one lesson I have learned that I would not trade for a free year of tuition....
God is always there.
It's one of those cliche phrases that we throw around, that we casually acknowlege and dredge up in the times when we are despondent and depressed. I've always had a head knowledge of that, but never has it been real.
Nothing in the past few weeks has been what I'm accustomed to. I've been alone in a situation completely foreign to me. I had nothing I could rely on. In addition to the complete unknown of the business, the people, and what my responsiblities were, God also chose this time to point out several flaws that I needed to work on. Things I had pushed to the back, hidden by a fun social calendar and the sedentary comfort of my usual life now came into the spotlight because I had no friends, no social life, and no surity and comfort.
There was nothing but God.
Nothing to think about- but God. Nothing to dwell on- but God. No one to spend time with- but God.
So I did.
And because of this I now know my heavenly Father better than ever before.
So what have I learned this summer?
God is there.
Be not far from me, O God; come quickly, O my God, to help me. My mouth will tell of your righteousness, of your salvation all day long, though I know not its measure. My lips will shout for joy when I sing praise to you- I, whom you have redeemed. (Psalm 71)
posted by COURTNEY at 7:09 AM
1 Comments:
amen
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