Even an eyebrow pencil...

Phew, finally, it's over. I can kick off my high heels, put up my legs, unplaster my smile and flop onto the bed. Running the kindy annual concert/graduation ceremony and an added repeat performance of selected classes in 2 church services the very next day gives a new twist to the meaning of 'stressss'. When Pastor first approached me with the request to repeat some of our concert presentations, I balked and immediately rejected it as just too much work. Getting parents who have already spent a whole Saturday morning to come back again on a Sunday and expecting them to hang around some 4 hrs would be next to impossible, especially if they aren't Christians. So although I dutifully told Pastor I can only try, my heart was really saying no and no way...but God reminded me not to insult Him -  saying no simply meant firstly i was just plain lazy and more importantly I didn't trust Him enuf to bring the impossible to pass. As I look back to the past week of preparations and see the very tangible results of God's work, I can only cry. I cry at the realization of God's awesomeness and faithfulness, of how great  my God is, proving that when He calls, He will empower and He will provide all my needs, big and small....

...even as small a thing as an eyebrow pencil. My black eyebrow pencil had finished to its last millimeter last week, and I just had no time to shop for a new one. So I made do with a brown one, even tho I knew the color didn't quite suit me. I was hoping no one would notice that much on concert day. But 2 days before the big day, one of my teachers passed me along the corridor and said, 'Aunty christine, u shld use black eyebrow pencil, brown not nice..' and I said, 'yea, I know, but no time to go buy new one' and she said, ' I will bring for you tomorrow, I don't use anymore since I got mine permanently done.' The next day, she brought not one, but 8 black eyebrow pencils...enuf to last me many years I am sure!! I was most amused, I didn't pray...hallo, who prays for eyebrow pencils !....but God knew I should be looking my best for 'His' big day ..and He supplied...in abundance. That's how great my God is... nothing, absolutely nothing, escapes His notice; not even my eyebrows....

Every year we tear hair when concert time rolls around, becoz we will have kids who can't dance, can't do formation, can't remember steps and positions...the list goes on. The teachers step on each other's tails becoz of the stress involved in the  preparations. But somehow on the day it will all pull together into a grand show. I know it's nothing to do with us, but all to do with my God, who like a skillful director draws the best out of the kids to make them look so beautiful and fantastic that they can do no wrong in the eyes of  parents in the audience. Every year it's a challenge to do better than the last. And we were all under added pressure as this is our 10th year of operations. Even before the day itself, I was feeling the heat becoz somehow or other there was another big function going on in  the same premises at the same time, tho in different halls. It would mean a big crowd of people, which required changing some of our logistic arrangements last minute. On the morning itself, there were hiccups, the audio systems started late becoz someone forgot to open the control room door, then the screen presentations couldn't run becoz of technical limitations... I was ready to scream...there was no 'plan B'....

...till I spotted the parent who had designed the power-point presentation for us. Surely its God's timely intervention that she 'so happen' to have her lap top with her, thus making it possible to for us to 'tayang' the power-point. Not only did she 'rescue' the show, but she gave me a confirmation that I had been waiting for from God regarding a certain personal issue which I had been burdened with for some time. Right in the midst of a very busy morning God sends this sister with a word that spoke peace into my heart. How great is my God...

And He didn't stop there.... Having committed to run a repeat performance the very next day, I was short of hands to handle 3 classes kids and parents over 2 church services back-2- back. I didn't want to compel any of my staff except the class teachers involved as it was a Sunday. People also need to rest after all. But I didnt even need to ask, 2 of them voluntarily informed me they were willing to come over to help out. As for the parents, against all my initial expectations, although not all signed up, there was sufficient to make up the bare minimum to put up a decent show. The only twist was it did require some more extra work in adapting the original choreography and organizing extra briefings for the parents, right after the concert itself.  My unspoken fear that the children would mess up becoz of the last-minute changes turned out to be totally unfounded; actually they performed even better then on the previous day of the concert. And using this repeat show, God turned some critical parents around to happy parents instead. All's well that ends well. What can I say?? How great is my God...

...that He would throw me a challenge to show up His own greatness. If I hadn't allowed Him to change my 'no' to a 'yes', I would never have learnt these precious lessons....indeed from everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked (Luke 12:48). It has been my constant prayer for the school that God would grant us, His workers, submitted hearts to obey His will, and willing hands to go the extra mile. Little did I know He would answer my prayer this way. How true it is, that many times we don't know what we ask of God! Like someone said, be careful what you ask from God...He might just give it to you, but in a most unexpected way...

"And my God will meet all your needs according to His glorious riches in Christ Jesus"... 
Philippians 4:19