I'm interning with Children's Bible Ministries (CBM) alongside four fantastic people from Camp Grace that I've known for a few years. The basic premise of this internship is: learn how to do everything. Since I just love lists, I'll compile almost everything that has happened into one big list for ya!
I've taken a few classes ranging between evangelism, apologetics, appearance, communication, phone etiquette, and social media for non-profits. Each of them taught me something I didn't know. Sometimes I wish I was a note taker so I could list them all. Currently, I'm reading an Old Testament survey book that is tons of fun to read and extremely insightful.
I've shared my testimony probably three dozen times. During our evangelism class, we did role playing evangelism where we would witness to another one of the interns who was acting like they were, say, an atheist, a victim, a liberal, an agnostic, etc. etc. And we had to share our testimony, and then mold it according the person we were talking to. Then they had us practice our testimony, tell it to groups of people and churches and all this other crazy stuff. A lot of people know about my life now. But the good thing is: I'm almost totally comfortable with telling it!
"Hello, my name is Paul Daly, and I am an intern with Children's Bible Ministries..." One of my harshest weaknesses is walking up to someone I've never met before and talking to them... about anything. Maybe that's a debilitating fear or a psychological wall or just an annoying facet of my personality, I don't know. But I've been doing plenty of talking to strangers lately—in person and over the phone. Soon, I'll be answering phone calls, which is much easier for me because they're coming to me. That's different... I guess.
I have laundry and other responsibilities that I usually don't have to keep track of. My parents did well to teach me how to do this stuff, but it's so very difficult to keep myself accountable for what needs to be done. For example, a hamper full of dirty clothes has been sitting in my living room for four days, ready to take to the laundry... and I'm just now doing it.
There's been a lot of firsts. First time calling the bank. First time leading worship at church. First time buying something with a debit card. First time I've bought my own groceries that I had to, ya know, eat as meals. These are just a few, but there have been many, and there will be many more.
I've met a few people. I'm actually good at meeting new people, apparently. They just have to be pursuing me, and I'll be friends with them in a matter of hours. So I've gained a few extra Facebook friends, and established some pretty nifty connections. Yay for people.
I've worried about money. I know I'm perfectly okay, and my finances are doing just fine. But the prospect of running out of money because I spend too much haunts me nowadays. What's worse: I am an impulsive buyer. In fact, the first thing I ever bought on this internship was a T-shirt from Mellow Mushroom that had a polygonal art-style deer with birds on its antlers holding strings of cheese from a floating slice of pizza. Anyway, I have a love-hate relationship with money. Soon, paychecks are going to be spread a bit farther apart and I may have to sacrifice some impulsive buying (even though it's so darn fun.) Fun fact: "free" has bumped up to my third favorite word, behind "discombobulated" and "defenestration." Of course, if you would like to assist me and my sanity, I do have a webpage where you can help me out with finances. The only money I'll use to buy stupid stuff is the money I work for from CBM. Most of the rest goes to food, savings, and other important stuff. …Man. Important stuff. That's freaky.
Some opportunities are peeking out at me. CBM is a very ambitious ministry that desires to spread all across the country, and it's so easy to get caught up in their firestorm. I've had meetings and discussions and quiet times when God has really been pointing me toward some stuff and nudging me forward. The major thing is camp ministry. Even though I don't know where I'm going with my life, I know camp ministry is going to be a big part of it, as it is already. I haven't sold my soul to the idea, but it's an idea nonetheless—and it's the best one I have. A second thing, which is more of an afterthought than anything, is the Northeastern USA. That subject is even more mysterious because I hadn't even thought about it for the past year or two. (There's a whole different story about how I started getting interested in the Northeast.) So that's weird, but God has sparked that interest and I'll just have to see where it goes. After revealing this to the other interns and staff, they are considering to send me up near that direction during my rotations… at least, those are the rumors I'm told.
What is adulthood, and can I eat it? I still feel like a teenager. That's all I'm gonna say on this matter.
WHERE ARE MY PEOPLE!? I haven't seen my parents in a few weeks. Which, I can do, but it's still odd. They have a cat now…… I wanted a cat before I left. Anyway, I haven't seen my girlfriend in a few weeks either. Which is also odd, but likewise doable (it sucks that I have to mail her one-year anniversary gift, though.) But I have a Father and a Friend that never leaves me, no matter what. And I know that He is with those precious people in my life, too. These few weeks would have been impossible without Him, and so I plan on holding on to Him for just a little while longer.
That was an understatement. I'll be relying on Him for a very very long time.
I feel like there's more to say. But I'm brain-shot. In summation, I'm having fun, I'm learning things, I'm doing hard stuff, and adulthood is going to take a while for me to acquire a taste for it.
Either way, God is good and He's got it under control. He brought me here in the first place, and I am grateful for Him holding me through it. I know the decisions I make now will impact greatly how I live the rest of my life. And so I have decided to commit myself to His work and His will. Time to see where He takes me!
In Christ,
Paul
