Beginning to feel at home...

If I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but do not have love, I have become a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy, and know all mysteries and all knowledge and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. And if I give all my possessions to feed the poor, and if I surrender my body to be burned, but do not have love, it profits me nothing.
1 Cor 13:1-3

This is what I must remind myself as I go on each shift, serve each meal, hand out each med basket, check each chore, and even as I write this blog. If I do these things without love, what profit is there?

This week I have work an 8-hour shift each day--Monday-Saturday. I worked the 3-11 shift twice, the middle 1-9 shift twice, and the morning 7-3 shift twice. The most difficult shift is DEFINITELY the early morning one. I almost did not make it there on time this morning. I am pretty sure that God woke me up because my alarm went off at 6:15a and somehow I fell back asleep and then heard a knock or something at 7:03 and decided I should HURRY. I changed and made it to the office by 7:05 and no one was the wiser :-) impressive huh?

My first week on the schedule has been tiring, especially for someone who has NEVER worked a REAL 8-hour job; however the Lord has given me the energy to get through each one...and I survived the entire week!

My favorite part of the daily routine is either dinner or med call. I like dinner because I enjoy eating (of course) BUT I also enjoy helping to prepare the meals and I like the interaction that we get with each of the ladies as they come through the line. Each meal is a creative challenge as one must take what is in the fridge and/or freezer and create a meal for 40 or meal in the time given. Yesterday that meant lots of left-overs, today tuna salad and other fruit salads along with sweet potatoes (a very interesting combo!). The cooks must also be mindful of food allergies and ensuring that the guests get the proper nutrients...it's a bit of a challenge!

I have dinner duty for real next week, so I am thinking of making taco soup, cornbread, and salads. Any other suggestions?

I also enjoy med call. This is the time when the ladies come to get their meds. They come to the med desk one at a time so this is a good chance for us to talk to them one-on-one. I also like to go sit with them while they are waiting on their turn at the med desk. They sit outside the room and are often cutting up with each other--it's lots of fun!

My least favorite part of the daily routine are the dead spots. I am sure that I will soon be grateful for these times, but not this week. I was shadowing this week, so I just had to watch most of the time. That meant if the house staff I was following was charting or answering the phone, I was just sitting there...twiddling my thumbs. I was supposed to be taking notes and such, but? Next week, I will be able to chart and answer the phone and the door and so perhaps there will be less dead time.

I am getting to know the guests more and I feel that they are beginning to open up to all of us summer girls. Many of them come to us with questions about the Bible and God has given me the opportunity to share with one guests about something that I was learning in my own Bible study that could perhaps provide some encouragement to her. Mostly, I believe that God is teaching me to truly love these women and that through that love I can earn their respect the opportunity to share with them more.

Love is a choice, a decision, and even a discipline at times. There is only one source of LOVE. Pray that God will pour His love onto these ladies, and that I may be a vessel.

Thank you so much for your prayers thus far. There have been times of sorrow, as guests have departed or disappointed but also times of sweet smiles as guests have shown great gratitude, worked hard on goals, or demonstrated a peeked interest in the Word of God. Please continue to pray for myself and all the staff this week as many of the staff are traveling leaving the team a few players short and struggling to cover all the bases!