The Great Adventure

The days all roll into one, the way the wheels of my borrowed bike roll over the endless miles of suburbia that I cover every day. My feet and hands hurt from the demanding daily schedule of biking and knocking, biking and knocking. Calluses are forming on the middle fingers of both hands. The sun and rain are my constant companions. As a result, I now have a beautiful farmer's tan, and believe that though rain may be cold it will pass.

When I signed up for the internship with Southwestern, I did not know what I was getting myself into. Yes, I had been over all the details with my manager and I knew how hard I was going to have to work. I committed to it before I arrived in Nashville for sales school. Still, nothing prepared me for the brutal honesty and challenges of the bookfield. Every day I take on the same task: to see and sit down with as many families as possible. I did not know that I would cry, but I do, and they are honest tears brought on by real experiences. I did not know that I would have 13 hours every day to be with God and watch Him work. I did not know that the bookfield can help a young girl want to become a woman. I did not know that God was this strong, yet every day I see Him prove Himself again and again in the midst of my weakness.

There are a lot of things I do to keep myself sane and positive on the bookfield. They are not kidding when they say that this job is all about mentality. My worst days are always when my attitude is bad. Every morning I read my Bible at breakfast to encourage my spirit. While I'm biking between houses I say verses to myself. I have funny and inspiring phrases that I mutter as I ride through the streets. A few of them are...
"The pandas are coming! The pandas are coming! Hide under your beds! Hide all the candy!"
"I am on my way, I can go the distance. I don't care how far, with God's help I'll be strong. I know every mile will be worth my while."
"The credit belongs to the man in the arena."
"I hold unswervingly to the hope that I profess. He who promised is faithful."
"I sell books and I love it."
"I love hills and hard things! I love challenges and chilly days! And I eat them for breakfast every single day! Yeah!"
"Rachel Palm is winning the Curb Surfing Olympics!"

There's so much that has happened it is hard to know how to describe it. My entire life is books now. Thinking about anything else distracts me. I have to fight to keep my mind on the job. That's why I was actually glad when my phone broke, erasing all of my old contacts, and why my Facebook account has been deactivated. I don't wear my watch to bed so that if I have any book dreams I will be able to rub my wrist to let myself know I am dreaming.

It is Sunday tomorrow, and my hair will hang loose and free. I will hug my entire org, call my parents, and make a bunch of sandwiches. Before bed I will wrap myself in my Masai blanket and sit by the lake to see my King's stars. We will talk, and He will help me prepare for the next Great Adventure.

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