Startin’ Off Grateful
Gratitude.
When one seeks to define this word, they typically find a definition stating that one who feels it is thankful and appreciative for some element of kindness that has been shown to them or a blessing they have received.
Personally, the first week of the Awaken Project has cultivated an entirely new depth to the meaning of this word for me.
I wish I could outline every special little moment that took place in the last week, but for the sake of time, I will highlight some of the moments where gratitude resided as a paramount feeling during the outlined memory.
To begin the week, I had an opportunity to be thankful not even three minutes into the program. This moment began as I walked through two sets of wood doors and entered the Mount Carmel lodge, only to be greeted by the Awaken Project team. Seeing, first, the back of my supervisor’s phone (as he recorded my entrance) and the ‘Awaken Project’ poster just behind him, I could not help but notice the glow that decorated the faces of the team. What happened was not just me exiting my vehicle, then entering the designated building; it was the first fruits of nearly four years of hard work and faithful prayer. Knowing this, made me so thankful to be one of the only three people in history that will ever get to experience being in the first year of this program.
The following day I had the unique opportunity to be grateful as my supervisor, Steven, led us in a session of carpool karaoke. Here, I shared with the group my (dare I say) stellar ability to rap & sing Somebody to Love by Queen. After the completion of my two-song, backseat concert for the three other passengers, I was able to learn some of my teammate’s favorite jam-session songs. Then, the moment of thankfulness kicked in as Steven played the song “Year 3000” by the Jonas Brothers. While we were listening to the music (and Steven’s killer vocals), I knew that this was just the beginning of a fun year that lies ahead.
Gratitude was also at the forefront of my thoughts as my fellow students and I were taught by two wonderful individuals on how to properly clean around Mount Carmel, as well as do some of the audio and sound work during various events onsite. Simply getting the opportunity to meet and learn from some of the fantastic individuals who work at Mount Carmel, gave me insight to the mission and heart-work that goes into running the grounds at which TAP students get to stay.
Finally, gratitude was a word that could encompass the entirety of this past Friday as we got to spend the whole day together. To start the day, I learned two important lessons: (1) the Goodwill of Alexandria, Minnesota does, in fact, live up to the hype and (2) the song Uptown Funk sounds better through the Goodwill speakers while briefly jamming out next to the Coca-Cola glasses.
To finish off the day, we spent the evening tubing and enjoying the hospitality of our supervisor’s relatives. After I finished eating my very first pizza pudgy pie, I took a second to close my eyes, smell the combined scent of lake water and bonfire smoke, and was simply grateful to be sitting where I was; that I was able to have an amazing first week in a program that was just beginning.
Tomorrow we begin our academic classes, but I am so happy and thankful to have already learned a deeper meaning of the word ‘gratitude.’ This lesson was not learned in the classroom or studied from a textbook, but it was through admiring the Minnesota stars after a busy day with my classmate, Brandon; through sharing a cabin with my new friend, Kimberly; and through discussing the topic of baptism while mopping the floor with Steven.
Not even 6 full days into this program, I have seen glimpses of the hard work, generosity, support, and prayer that has gone into making this program a reality. As I am just beginning to embark on this 8-month long journey where I get to learn more about God and form amazing friendships, I am grateful and excited for what lies ahead and the memories that have already been made.