Christmas at Orchard

WOW! Carolling at Orchard on Christmas eve was a really fantabulously exciting experience. Haha. I have never ever had such a Christmas eve before. Actually, my main objective for this event was really to get to know my friends better and have fun as we carolled together... Then the week before, I was asked to become a small small group leader. At first I thought that it will be quite manageable… after all, it’s just 5 people in my group. Haha... but I was so wrong. Orchard Road was so super duper crowded that keeping 5 people together is actually quite challenging. I felt like some mother hen trying to make sure that all the chicks are together, and that no eagle comes swooping down to snatch them away. I did a head count like every 5 seconds man. Haha. But I was blessed even as I chose to lead the group… indeed it is a privilege to serve. I learnt how to take care of my group: break them into pairs to buddy each other, ensure that they are taken care of by asking them to drink water, ensuring that they have the lyrics for the carols, making them comfortable and keeping their energy levels up etc… all in all, learning to love them.

Indeed as Ps Khong preached, love focuses on caring, in which we meet the needs of the people with all we are. Yesterday was a little experience of how I actually did that. An instance was when we used bags and paper to shield each other from the nasty smelly foam that people kept trying to spray on others. Another was when we made sure that we walked in a choo choo train so that no-one will be lost. haha. There were many many other instances where we did little acts of kindness for each other that amounts to theh love for one another.

Love fosters confidence as well. Something that I have always been struggling with is to use a firm voice when leading a small group. Perhaps it is because of my fear of rejection because of childhood experiences. Throughout the year, in many instances where I led a small group, I hardly discipline them at all and treat them merely as friends. But yesterday, I felt the freedom to do so. There was an atmosphere of love for me to freely switch from serious mode to fun mode and back to serious mode again.

Before the event, as I prayed for it, God promised that His presence will be there with us in Orchard Road. And indeed He is a faithful God! There was such an atmosphere of joy and love as we sang Christmas Carols and worshipped the Lord. =) I thank God that the crowd caught that joy from us as well though our carolling was so messy… haha… Despite all the technical glitches, the crowd didn’t seem to care… cos the atmosphere of joy and love was already there. =)

Indeed, all in all it was a fruitful event and I thank God for it! And here's wishing all of you out there MERRY CHRISTMAS!!! =)