And I'm Off!

     I write this somewhat in haste. With less than 15 hours to go before my plane departs Green Bay, I'm in a bit of a flurry trying to get everything done that I've either put off  till the last minute (i.e. posting to my blog) or as an over-achieving goal-maker I've not satisfactorily completed as of yet. (i.e. posting to my blog). But my laundry is clean, my bags are (mostly) packed, my paper work is printed, and my tablet has been sufficiently stocked with library books for the journey. All systems would appear go! This is the moment I've been waiting for since I last came home from Washington back in October. I've been diligently studying since then - ever adding to my already bursting brain; I've been pouring over books and diving into documentaries in anticipation of again sharing my gleaned knowledge with hundreds of "enthusiastic" (which here means selfie-crazed, often oblivious, but O so lovable) 8th graders! So why am I so nervous? It's a phase. Actually... allow me to walk you through the preseason emotions of a tour guide:

1) Excited! January arrives and brings with it the ever inspiring week of ACTs staff training. From all over the country, tour guides gather in the frozen north-west corner of Wisconsin for a time of story exchanging, newbie initiating, and nerdy chatting! The air is electrified with the buzz of like-minded people ready to hit the road and share their heart! Our guest speakers only fuel the flame with their contagious passion and riveting insight! What a week!

We may have a bit too much fun at training (and she may kill me for posting this! LOL!)

2) Overwhelmed! The collective excitement dissipates as we all return to our respective homes; but the desire to learn EVERYTHING drives us on. With a list (submitted and suggested by fellow guides and brilliant historians at training) to the moon and back of "books I should read" staring us in the face, we've a debilitating decision to make: which to read first? Some don't answer that question and read everything at once; while others of us deliberate for weeks over whether to focus on the Civil War, the Revolutionary War, WWII, or "maybe it doesn't have to be war at all?" It's a bigger decision than most people realize! And no matter what you pick, you'll always wish you read more about George Washington instead! And no matter how much you read, it never seems like you know anything more than you did before! History is a vast sea: I want to drink it all...but that would kill me. The sooner I admit that to myself the better!

So much to do!! Where to start!? (with Glenn Beck's "The Original Argument")

3) Sick & Tired!  Did I mention there's a lot to know and how impossible it is to know it all!?  Indeed. It's true. After a while, the best laid plans and goals of even the best intentioned tour guide grow stale and tedious and boring and unappealing and we'd all just rather curl up and binge watch Netflix - NOT a marathon of Ken Burns, mind you! Thankfully, this year, I got quite sick (actually sick) during peak "sick & tired" phase, so I could in good conscience watch all of the Lord of the Rings my little heart could handle and even read a bit of J.R.R.Tolkien to boot! It was just what the doctor ordered! But not all are so fortunate.

Marathon time!!!

3) Invigorated! With the clock ticking, the sick phase over, and the to-do pile growing, it's time to put that nose to the grind stone! Suddenly, as if by magic, books are being finished, documentaries being completed, reports being written, and brilliant thoughts being ...thought! The thrilling idea that, "yes I can do this," crosses our minds. We begin to envision ourselves standing before our groups at the Lincoln Memorial, the Supreme Court, Arlington National Cemetery and eloquently expounding on the symbolism of the structures, the fascinating history of the events, and the wonder of God's hand in it all! My! How could we ever think that we couldn't?

fiya powe'

4) Nervous! Well, that confidence was short lived! Like a bolt of lighting, the very real fears of meeting new people, looking like a fool, saying dumb things, a national crisis, wardrobe malfunctions, and unfortunately timed bouts of sickness flash across our minds. Get me out! I can't do this another season!? My nerves can't take it! The awkward wait for the group to arrive at the airport is proof enough that this job is too hard! ...

5) Empowered! Finally, the day dawns. With bags packed, khakis pressed, polo tucked (if your lucky enough to be short enough that your polo tucks in...[that wouldn't be me!]), and home hundreds of feet below, the only describable feeling is peace. Yes, each day on the job will no doubt have its moments of being excited, overwhelmed, sick & tired, invigorated, and of course nervous - as well as a hundred other emotions; but the one constant is God's strength! It's through our weakness that He is strong. God doesn't give us the spirit of fear, but of power & love & a sound mind! Somehow God is glorified through us as we share *His-story! He goes before us; all we have to do is follow!

"Let the peace of God rule in your hearts"

     And that, my friends, is glimpse of what an ACTS tour guide *may experience in the weeks & months preceding our time on the road!  1-4 are a bit subjective, but I think we can all attest to the miraculous grace of our Heavenly Father through us during the hectic but awesome tour season. And that is why I keep coming back! :)