Ushering in FOP is exciting dont you agree? im sure everyone does. but is exciting enough? One thing that really impacted me during pre service is really about getting to know yourself more. what do i mean by that? an example that happened to me was there was this lady who seemed a little lost. so i went up to her and asked if i could help, yet all she replied to me was a curt, NO. ouch. might i add that hurt. Had God not intervened in my life 8 months back, i would most likely have cause a commotion back there. and then it really showed me, what it means, to love someone unconditionally, and be able to take her No, and yet, turn around to her and say ok no problem and thank you. talk about keeping a cool head.
Next, was as per normal, the reservation of seats. even in HOGC services, we also have our reservation of seats. and at times, we just unfortunately have to turn to the people and get them to forgo their reserved seats. It's not easy to try and ask of this favour, and yet remain nice and yet firm at the same time, but i'm sure God put Jian Ming as head usher for a reason. remembering last christmas JM shared about people reserving seats, and he gave 3 words. Address, Explain, Reassure. Address the issue, in this instance, the reservation of seats. Explain why we need them to forgo their seats. And lastly, reassure them that these friends whom they're saving these seats for have seats. Listening to Jian ming share is one thing. thinking and talking about it is another. Doing it, is a totally __________ experience. [sorry la. i really cannot find any words to describe it. haha] the tension to be nice yet firm about it. so the word goes around that we have to open up reserved seats. me and nicholas had to go around and open up the seats, this has to result in us going up to the people and explaining about our situation. Nicholas, i'm very glad to say, did not say, "eh you do the talking and i'll usher the people." what he did say was, "erh, i dunnoe how, can you show me how?" well done nicholas! =] (im sure you all know how it feels. =])
Next was during sermon itself. people generally tend to leave their seats half way during word, and sometimes, it's difficult to usher them back to their seats. There was one woman who had to leave her seat because her son wanted to use the toilet, and she was making a small commotion as we could not return her to her seat. this was due to the fact that her seat was actually in the middle of the block and going in and out would have been very distracting to people around. so pearlene was there, explaining to her about why they could not return to their seats, and if they might want to shift positions, and i mean the woman really kicked a fuss. but pearlene. =] =] =] you really stood firm. =] did i mention that the two people i mention, Nicholas and Pearlene are both "new crew" having joined us only for 1 or 2 months. =] it pays to have Jian Ming as head eh. =] annointing flows down. =]
And i think the last thing which i feel was one of the most impactful things of the night was when i came home and searched for Jian Ming's post on a life of committment vs a life of excitement. The phrase : Life of Excitement = No direction = No purpose = No vision I was thinking to myself, do i see myself doing usher duty here at FOP as exciting or committment? When Jian Ming lead warriors1 that week he shared this, he shared, "are you going to come back here in 10yrs time with the same attitude? or are you going to look at it as something more?" i found myself thinking, "am i going to come back for duty after duty, dragging a half dead body with shuffling feet? are people going to look at me and say, hey, here's someone ready and willing to give all she has for God, or are they going to look at me and say, why is she here with this kinda attitude?" Like what Jian Ming posted, never be comfortable in what you have, but instead, every service, come with a new outlook, a new angle where you can see more possibilities. To not see yourself as a normal usher, for you are never normal. God told me this before, if you want to lead by name, then you are only a name. instead, lead by example, so that even if you dont have a name, you have something to show for it, comparative to those who lead only by a name. We might not be head ushers. We might not be chief ushers. We might not be Second ICs. We might not be section leaders. We might not be section ICs. We might not even be anything by name. but then again, what's more important? our name? or our servitude? I believe all of us are capable of being the next Shan Yong, the next Pei Shan, the next Noni, the next Cherie and even so, the next Jian Ming. BUT! are we going to only be called head usher? or will we step into Jian Ming's shoes? I believe with every ordinary service, we should carry extraordinary expectations. To be able to learn from every service, from our chief ushers, and even from one another.
It's been a great privilege to be working under Jian Ming, most of today's chief ushers, and also with my fellow ushers. =] FOP, literally Festival of Praise shows us, about praising God in our times of need, our hours of darkness when there seems to be no light. I thank God for now, i have been quite dry, and really today's usher has really opened my eyes, and showed me, how He has still lived in my life. and i'm sure all of you can tell i really need to say this coz it's 5 plus in the morning. hahahaha. =] but guys, also, a big thank you. =] for being awesome friends, and also, wonderful siblings in Christ.. =] thanks loads! =]
~ushering people into their destiny~
Agnetta
-an ordinary usher, with extraordinary expectations
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