Breaking the Ice

As helpful as icebreaker games can be when it comes to meeting new people, they always seem somewhat difficult to me.  "Tell us your life story, but in one sentence ONLY!" "What's the weirdest thing you've ever done?" "What's the one word you would use to describe yourself?"

How much does a polar bear weigh?
Enough to break the ice!

Baffled.

Why? Because that all seems fairly impossible to answer in the 3-5 seconds you have before the rest of the group starts to wonder if you're deaf or "not all there."  How in the WORLD am I supposed to rack my brain that quickly to come up with a simple answer where a detailed one is better suited?! Are these people nuts?

I know that it's important to be able to sum up yourself, your personality, etc in 15-30 seconds (affectionately known as the "elevator speech") so that you can present yourself in an interview or similar situation clearly and concisely.  However, as a lover of words, I find that task fairly challenging.

In advertising, having one word, normally an adjective, to describe your brand is highly valuable.  Again, getting that one golden word often comes from a sentence of words that is slowly whittled down to a single gem.  So what's the one word you would use to describe you?

After contemplating, one word seemed to continue to come to my mind.  It's a word that will always be true, whether or not I feel that way every moment of every day or not.  It's a word that is based on more than my grade point average, the job that I hold, the amount of money in the bank or the number of friends I have in my contact list; it's based on something that's value is incorruptible. My one golden word?

Blessed.

God has so richly blessed me--not only with His grace, mercy and incessant love, but also with a fantastic family, group of friends and supporters.  He has guided me through my journey here at State; I'm so blessed to have professors that are going on overseas missions for the sake of the gospel.  Friendships have been restored, hope has been birthed and love has appeared as if out of thin air.  My Father continues to show me more of his character everyday and because of that I will forever be blessed.

Dad, thank you so much for your hand in my life.  Thank you for not leaving me at the wayside when things seem to fall apart.  Thank you for restoring me, gluing the pieces back together and nursing me to a full recovery.  Let me never forget how you have moved in my life and the lives of those around me.  Thank you for teaching me to be patient and for bringing me such a treasure.  Remind me that you are not bound by time and I should be like you in that way.  Please continue to guide me in all I say, think and do.  Thank you for calling me your princess, your beloved, your daughter.  How I love you.