December was a could month in Columbus.
At the end of December, I had two conferences to choose to attend. I wanted to go to Urbana conference because it was bigger, and it held every three years, sounding more large scale. However, when God calls me to go to Bridges Vision Conference instead of Urbana one, I was so confused. It did not make me feels good. Why should I go to Bridges again for (maybe) my last year of conference in the United States? It would be lack interesting since I had been there once. God gave me hints very clear to go, so I obeyed him. Surprisingly, one of the Bridges staff asked me if I would become the Emcee for Chinese track with another guy. I prayed, and God’s answer was Yes again. So, I obeyed again.
During the conference, sessions typically ended around 10:30 pm. Every night he and I need to stay with two other staff till 1 am to prepare script for tomorrow’s sessions. I needed to get up around 7:30 am to eat quick breakfast and also practice. One night after finishing I just almost cried on the aisle of the hotel, why I should work like this? Did God see I do not have enough sleep and get anxious? Did he see I do not have enough time / pay attention with students who come with or because of me? I would rather just go and enjoy the conference. But God here kept silence. However, “soldier obey last command of their officer” as mentioned in one of the ISEED class, I will finish it even it made me tired. During the conference, people keep coming to me to talk and pray with and for me because they saw me on the stage. I didn’t realize how many people I connecting to beyond IFI staff and students only in OSU. One of the students in other university (for confidential I didn’t mention here) even stopped me after conference and said she wants to learn more about what I learned in ISEED program (she was a seeker). Hopefully I can have sometime facetime with her and connect to follow up with her. You could also pray for me about this.
At the end of the trip, one of the staff suggested us that we needed to leave tips for house keeper. I was annoyed because we did not get any service. For the whole conference, we never got our beds made, even never got our trash cleaned, no service at all! why she said we need to leave normal rate of tips for service??? I tried to convince other people not leave tips or leave lower tip but they did not agree, and try to convince me leave the tips as the staff suggested. I was anxious. But when I reflected that situation now, I saw my pride and identity based on other’s agreement. It was their free will to choose to leave tips and I can do my way. 1 John 3:21 said “Dear friends, if our hearts do not condemn us, we have confidence before God”. If it was their choice and they felt it good, I should respect them. Besides, house keeper did need to clean the room later. Besides, God do not judge people on how much they give for tip so I should not judge the staff saying she was not a good Christian. This part I really should confess, and I pray I would be more like God the next time.
Lemon by 2019/1/3