228th Reflection💬

“The team that the Lord blesses you with, do you treasure❓”

If you do, please fulfil your own responsibilities.

……

17/05/2022 (Tue) 20:30 Hong Kong International Institute of Music Room 310

Choir

Vice Principal turned to the first row on the right, where I was sitting.

Vice Principal said, “Bass.”

I swallowed hard.

Vice Principal said, “How are your practices? Let’s grade the effectiveness of your practices. How many marks out of 10?”

Student A said, “7.”

I said, “8.5.”

Student B said, “6.”

Student C said, “6.”

Student D said, “7.”

Student E said, “6.”

Student F said, “4.”

Vice Principal said, “8.5, you sing.”

I said, “I sing?”

Vice Principal said, “Yes, you graded yourself 8.5, didn’t you?”

I said, “Yes, I did.”

Vice Principal said, “Sing, I Will Be With You, Bar 10, 2nd beat, Start.”

The piano accompaniment started.

I sang, “When you pass through the water,__ when you walk through the fire,__ when the riv-ers o-ver-flow, I will be with you.__”

Vice Principal said, “Stop. Bare pass, 5 marks.

Vice Principal elaborated her comments and pinpointed the areas that I needed to work hard on.

After several rounds of checking,

Vice Principal said, “How can we proceed to the musical in September when most of you have gone through so little practices? You know, we’ve got a lot of stakeholders, including a 20-people orchestra and around 800 audience. If no change is made, I doubt whether I go on with the musical with all of you. We are in a team, of a team. Have you fulfilled qyour own responsibilities to go through all the practices needed?”

……

Another me said, “What the vice principal said is, so mean!”
I said, “No, I don’t agree.”

Another me said, “Hey, she gave you only 5 marks. You take the side of an outsider rather than mine, 8.5.

I said, “8.5 is my self-evaluation. According to the vice principal’s standard, I am graded only 5. What’s wrong with her frankness?”

Another me said, “But she graded you in front of the choir. Weren’t you embarrassed?”

I said, “Why do you care so much about your embarrassment? If you care it so much, don’t follow me back to the choir but lock yourself in the band room.”

Another me said, “Your words hurt. You don’t care about how I feel. But I care about if you’ll get embarrassed in front of the crowd.”

I said, “I don’t find the embarrassment you care so much about. The vice principal frankly told me her comments - 5 marks. She cared about me and reminded me of the 50% extra effort that I should pay in my daily practices in the coming 3 months.”

Another me said, “Come on. Choir, you paid for it. How could she say something like that?

I said, “Does the amount I paid matter a lot? How much is it? It’s just around $1,000 that I paid this semester. Now, I’ve got the vice principal teaching me how to sing every Tuesday, a large group of classmates practicing together with me, the stage in the school hall where I can perform, a 20-person orchestra accompaniment. I just wonder which one involved in the musical you can call only with the $1,000 that you’ve paid. It isn’t even enough for 3 meals in Shushiro.”

Another me said, “What do you mean?”

I said, “Please treasure the opportunities to work together in a team that the Lord blesses you with.”

Another me said, “I treasure it a lot. After I’ve done all that I want to do, ranging from getting up, working, taking meals, playing games, chi-chatting on WhatsApp, talking on the phone, and watching YouTube videos, and right before I get to bed, I’ll give a thanksgiving prayer. If time allows, I’ll send those that help some thanksgiving emojis as well.”

I said, “Stop it. Get back your less-than-a-minute cheap thanks. The Lord has paid heavy price for our sins. He sacrificed Himself. The efforts and time that the vice principal paid for the musical are far beyond our expectations.”

Another me said, “So what do you want me to do?”

I said, “It isn’t about me, but you. If you sincerely treasure the salvation for which the Lord paid high price, treasure the efforts and time that the vice principal made, and treasure the efforts of every choir member, please respect the team that the Lord blesses you with - fulfill your responsibilities as a team member.”

Another me said, “So what to do?”

I said, “Add the extra 50% of practices every day - practise singing your bad part.”

Another me said, “Do you fulfil your responsibilities in another team that the Lord blesses you with?”

I said, “Are you blind? Don’t you see what I do every day in ‘Maggie moves on to Jesus’ WhatsApp Group?”

Another me said, “I don’t know what you’re doing! What are you doing?”

I said, “No surprise that you know nothing. You either watch the fire from beside and keep silent or stay indifferent and shut your mouths or ears. Only in festivals will you send a few cheap thanksgiving emojis. I won’t act like you. I treasure so much the Bible study group that the Lord blesses me with. I give offerings every month, I communicate with my group-mates and follow the plan to read the Bible on weekdays, I join the zoom Bible study on Saturdays, and I give sharing and make scripture-reading music track on Sundays. I fulfil my responsibilities as a group member every day.”

……

Classmate said, “Since next week, the choir practice will be extended to 09:50p.m. No extra charge. A free gift. Please reserve your time.”

I said, “This is indeed great news! I’ve reserved my time. I’m very grateful for the precious efforts and time the vice principal makes and pays for us. I pray that the Lord will guide us, move our heart and schedule our time so that we practise our singing part well in order to fulfil our own responsibility as a choir team member in response to the love offer from the vice principal and the precious performance opportunity that the Lord blesses us with.”