Living with the ultimate Choleric

While everyone else was enjoying the Raya holidays, I was stuck in the college. Yes, it's true! Sad, but true... I have only Monday off. Besides not having more holidays, I still had to go back to college on Friday night for CF Leaders' Retreat. We stayed in college for the night and the meeting ended at noon the next day. So there goes half of my holiday!

Well, I really shouldn't complain about it. After all, I am doing the Lord's work. Frankly, the meeting was a much needed one. We really needed to review what the CF had been doing all these while and set goals and some substantial guidelines for the CF. At least, we need to set our purpose right. I can' deny that it was a VERY fruitful meeting, for it was indeed fruitful. We shared our past CF experience (of which I have none) and other stuffs as well. Then we review the purpose and direction of the CF. It was interesting to be reminded again of the purpose of the CF's existence. Then we came out with this 3-page long constitution for the CF. Man, I thought I was in Law class with all the 'articles' and 'amendments'! In the first place, I didn't know CFs need constitutions. Well, it apparently does!

The most interesting thing throughout the 1-day-1-night retreat was having to live with "The Ultimate Choleric". I have never in my life seen anyone with as strong and willful a character as hers. While we were analysing the Great Commission in Matthew 28 as told by Mr. Michael and applying it to the context of our CF, she was all the while telling us what to do and what to write instead of allowing us the free time to brainstorm (which I think is the main purpose of the activity). Before I can have the time to conceive a thought in my mind, she was by my side telling us what we were supposed to do! I had to hint that maybe she 'wanna help the other group instead'. Then all through the meeting, she was asserting her opinion on everyone and telling me what I should be doing. To be very frank, I was annoyed, and my patience was exhausted. Finally, Wen Shan tactfully asked if she had taken the personality test and that if she is a Choleric. Well, everyone knew what that meant, maybe with the exception of herself.

Unfortunately, she shared the same room with the girls, and her love for Scrabble drove her to compel everyone else to join her in the game for the whole night till 1.48am. Goodness me! Everyone was so bored. Some were fiddling with their cameras, some were just chatting, and some were half asleep. Still, she insisted on continuing the game, so much so that she volunteered to do other people's turn! What a game! Finally, someone messed up the point system and the game had to be terminated. Good grief!

Being half a Choleric myself, crossing path with other Cholerics means a clash of personality. But I guess sometimes God puts people like these in my path to refine my patience and train me to accept others just as they are, just as He loves me just as I am. It was also an experience of 'casting crowns': to cast my crown at His feet in exchange for His spirit of humility.There are things to give thanks for, though. At least she is not in my family and I don't have to bear with her for the rest of my life!

Everything said and done, I am reminded that this retreat is really not about her but about the CF. In speaking so, I truly thank God for a very committed committee! (Now I know from where the word 'committee' is derived.) And once again, I am encouraged by the promise in Isaiah 40:28-31. After all, it's His work that I'm doing. I really shouldn't rely on my own strength in doing God's work. How can I?