Hey, y’all, and happy Monday!
My Story Gathering journey is now officially over. It feels very weird to say the least, as I have lived and breathed ASP the past 11 weeks. It’s definitely an adjustment being settled at home in Mississippi instead of packing up and traveling to a new county every couple of days. Since leaving the porch and arriving home, I have had much more time on my hands to go through my camera roll of the memories from this summer. As I reflect upon my summer with ASP, I want to focus on the gratitude I have for everything this experience provided.
I have so much gratitude for ASP as an organization. Its mission, values, and the work it does. It was life-changing to see the impact on dozens of homeowners’ homes and lives. The dedication of every ASP worker is something I’ve never seen before. The desire to serve other people overshadowed every bad day, early morning, and anything that might have gone not quite as planned. Seeing firsthand the servant leadership exhibited by ASP staff inspires me to love others better, and I am so thankful for that.
A couple weeks ago, I talked about sunbeams (the bright points in a person’s life), and I left out one very important ASP sunbeam. There are not enough words to ever express the gratitude I feel for my fellow Story Gathering Intern, Taylor. We have had so much fun exploring ASP’s service area and doing life alongside one another the past 11 weeks. I didn’t know coming into this experience what our dynamic would look like, but I can gladly say that ASP has blessed me with the sweetest friendship that I will cherish for the rest of my life. Saying our goodbyes on Saturday at the porch was one of the hardest things I’ve had to do, and to say a few tears were shed would be an understatement. I have cried approximately three times due to missing her since leaving the porch (which is pretty good for me). What can I say? I’m an emotional gal. The feelings I’ve gone through the past few days reminds me of a quote by Winnie the Pooh, “How lucky am I to have something that makes saying goodbye so hard?” Taylor’s love, laughter, and jokes have brought so much joy to my life, and I can truly never thank God enough that He allowed our paths to cross. If you’re reading this Taylor, know you are one of the best people in the world and never forget it!
This list wouldn’t be complete without expressing my gratitude for the best boss in the world. Chelsi has been the most incredible leader, mentor, big sister, and hype girl. On top of teaching us everything we needed to know to successfully do our job this summer, she never failed to provide a word of wisdom or crack a funny joke when needed. I am lucky to say that I’ve only ever had good bosses, but Chelsi takes the cake. I am thankful to know her, both as a boss but also now as a friend. I love you, Chelsi!
Finally, I am thankful for this experience as a whole. Being in a completely new environment with people I had never met before could have gone a lot of ways, but I am so thankful for how it’s gone— the people I’ve met, the memories I’ve made, the friendships that will last a lifetime. I am thankful for daily runs with staff, ice cream trips with volunteers, meeting incredible homeowners, hearing their stories, and every moment in between. Traveling between 17 counties during a seven-week period can be a little hectic at times, but getting the opportunity to visit and spend time with every member of staff made it all worth it. I have made friendships and memories that will last a lifetime, and that fills my heart with so much gratitude.
I aspire to be someone who focuses on gratitude instead of negativity.
1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 says, “Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” I have nothing but thanks to give God when I think about this experience. This summer with ASP blessed me in so many ways, and I am forever thankful for it.
Sarah Brassfield
Story Gathering Intern
