flower.

Love Actually...

Monday, March 01, 2010 2:06 PM

Love Actually… the gig’s over, physically yes. I mean, the event itself is over, but the people we met, new connections we made on that day itself is fresh and new. They’ve not ended. How can they when the relationships have merely just started?

It’s been pretty tiring this whole 1&half months of intensive planning and coordinating. Of course, we did not forget to commit all that planning and coordinating to prayer as well. And because of this, the tire and stress is able to rest on the joy of serving the Lord. I’m actually grateful for this challenge, this personal ministry.

Organising this gig was really something new, something different.

We decided to move it out of church. With Jeanette’s help in organizing, we managed to book SMU Treehouse Café.
We had new singers in our midst! Those who were sharing their testimonies also took it upon themselves to sing their song dedication.
Then, instead of simply having a good flow of nice-to-hear songs played by the awesome RAYdio band, we thought about weaving testimonies with the songs. The songs we sing therefore will have a deeper meaning and msg than simply being a performance for our friends.

Originally, there was an acapella segment, which challenged me to arrange something out. However, due to certain time constraints we have and the fact that it adds no meaning except to liven the mood, we had to cut it out at the last min. ( haha but anw, we didn’t have enough time to prac, so next time!)

We created our own video instead of showing videos taken off youtube/tangle(new Godtube). Great job Joel Lee!

Anw, so this whole journey in planning, getting things together, then going on-site to Treehouse or outside the café to pray over the place, over the event, over the people serving and over the friends coming. Then there was JJ’s sensing for 20 salvations. It was a big, bold prayer we prayed and a test of out faith! All these happened concurrently with the I Want 2 Grow series; we got to apply what we hear and that is, to ask big prayers and grow in faith! What was also exciting is that, for the 1st time, we’re expecting more than 50 friends to come!

God has been teaching me alot about faith this season with the I Want 2 Grow series as well as my own personal devotion as I'm reading Exodus. Seeing how Moses led the people out of slavery in Egypt by faithfully obeying what the Lord has in mind. God gave Moses rejection from Pharoah so many times such that the miracles can be performed and all can see the glory of God displayed. Ultimately, victory was with God and with Moses!

In their journey to the promised land, there's Manna provided by God and it was a test for how much the Israelites are willing to trust God. The Amalekites were defeated as Moses raised his hands the entire war time. It taught me submission and surrender to let God do what He can do. The Israelites just got to pick up the manna according to the instructions given by God, similarly, we got to just do what we can do and obey God in all that He's called us to do.

Finally, the day came. It was a long tiring day for some of us had worship prac in the morn. (actually, majority of RAYdio had worship prac.) Wow. The café was really bursting with people. 65 friends came and plus ourselves, we had 121 people in the café! Sadly, the air-con was turned a little down and couldn’t sustain the large crowd. So the place was quite warm. However, despite that, everything went smoothly except for a few hiccups that weren’t too drastic…

The salvation call came that night after JJ’s sermon. But even as we all prayed so hard before the event, during the gig itself and had all that trust and excitement to see God move, no one raised their hands. I hadn’t got the time after the gig ended to process all I was feeling. Had to make sure the place was restored, everything cleared from the venue. I followed Terence’s car and the other guys as they moved the instruments and equipment back to church. While we had dinner/supper(?) at nam kee chicken rice, we had a short sharing of the overall gig that night. Yea it was good, pple were listening attentively (or were they just restless? I would choose the former) during the testimonies and sermon. No stray noises at all! That was unusual. But, no salvations…and honestly, i did feel that tinge of disappointment.

Like I mentioned, that night, I was pretty tired to process alot. But during last Sunday's worship as we sang 'Mighty To Save', there was a rising feeling of comfort to know that God is still MIGHTY TO SAVE! He can even move mountains, what more can't He do? If He told JJ about the 20 salvations, He will bring it to pass. Not directly in this gig alone, but throughout this year, as we start-off with the follow-up with the friends who come and for subsequent events. I believe the minimum 20 is indeed a promise to be fulfilled.

Then from JJ's heartfelt sharing on Friday’s corporate cell, I was given that platform to really really lay down whatever disappointment that was still left in me and claim this promise He's given to the ministry boldly.

It's gonna come. God's shown us how seeds have been planted. As we called up the friends who managed to fill up the response sheet, there were just so many indications of the seeds sown, even for my friends who came. It's like God's telling me, ‘See, I didn't not do anything. I still moved in the place so just continue trusting!’

And yes, we all gotta keep giving thanks to God and being ever grateful to Him for He's taught us alot more in this whole journey and this faith journey will not stop here for RAYs. This faith journey will not stop here for me either.

P.S. Thank you JJ, Jeanette, LydiaLee, Joel Lee, Shalyn, Reuben, Don, Deanna, Nun, Shermin, Isabel, Lydia Tan, RAYdio band (all you who're involved in planning, coordinating, food i/c, band i/c, emcees, and those of you who availed yourselves to share your testimonies); thank you to the rest of RAYs who came and help out in deco and even simply just bringing friends. =)