Thoughts from My First Day

Today was my first day on the job at Caswell Beach.  I am not sure how I feel just yet.  You know when everything is surreal.  I went for a little run after work today (and I mean just a baby run around the campus) and I stopped on the pier and stared out at the water.  I could see where the Cape Fear met the ocean and I was stuck in the thought, “this is your life…”

It seems like just yesterday that I was walking my morning commute to a school full of teenage girls who could only say “hi teacher…bye teacher…”  And it seems like just last week that I was looking through a microscope in the back office of my professor and scrambling to get my thesis done in time.

But alas, that was a whole year ago.  How can a year fly?  And how can so much change inside you in a year, and on the outside it changes so little?  How can I be watching the sunset create a rainbow at this moment, and know that this very day last year I was confused and scared in Thai hotel, rescued only by some German backpackers?  I don’t know.

But what I do know is that you don’t really know much on your first day of work.  I spent the morning getting keys, signing papers, putting in work shirt orders, and basic orientation.  So much information went into my head that I don’t know where to start.  I was told of several projects that we are hoping to accomplish before the summer, curriculum development, current research, and daily responsibilities.  I was then left to get to work.  I went straight away into one of the projects dealing with NC geology.  We are hoping to get an interactive geology display ready for the camp kids this summer.  I spent the rest of the day researching all of the rock samples we had available for the display and then did some minor brain storming about what we can put together.  I hope to spend tomorrow reading up on more of North Carolina’s geology…this way I can really know my stuff and maybe even make a lesson out of it.

Also, my boss today gave me two books on Dune Ecology.  She hinted that she wanted me to work on lesson planning ideas for a Dune lesson for the summer camps as well.  I really will enjoy that!  I had a great day at work.  The people are friendly, my boss is amazing, I work with a great friend of mine from school, and my workload is something I love doing.

BUT, here is my problem.  I was not able to fully enjoy it.  I can’t honestly believe that I could enjoy work.  I feel like I shouldn't be paid for reading books on Dune Ecology.  I guess I am just waiting for the other shoe to drop.  I am waiting to be told that I am doing something wrong…that this is not how things are going to be.  Can something this good really happen to me?

I have a good friend that reminded me to pray about that.  That feeling is not from God…because God has not given us a spirit of fear!  I shouldn't be fearfully waiting for something bad to happen.  I should enjoy the good that is happening now.  I should know that God provides great gifts for his children, and that perhaps having a job that I love is a gift from Him.

I will definitely be in prayer about that tonight.  And I will pray expecting great things!  I WILL have freedom from that spirit of fear.  I will spend tomorrow doing a job that I know I am going to love.

Wish me luck all, and keep me in your prayers as I adjust to a new place.  Also, I will try to get some photos of this beautiful campus up soon!