Victorious I: His Ways in the Blackout

For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
nor are your ways my ways, says the Lord.
For as the heavens are higher than the earth,
so are my ways higher than your ways
and my thoughts than your thoughts.
– Isaiah 55:8-9

For anyone who has ever served in the Program Committee at any CFC-Youth conference, you know that sticking to the Director’s tech script and the schedule are key. But what happens when things don’t go according to the tech script/schedule, or to our own plans? What are we supposed to do? How are we supposed to respond?

This past weekend, CFC-Youth Mountain celebrated another victory for the Lord at this year’s Regional Youth Conference. But for myself, the victory wasn’t easily recognized.

After we celebrated the Holy Mass, we jumped right into opening worship led by Yan Fournier, CFC-Youth Calgary HSB Program Head. Everyone was worshiping loudly and with so much joy, but then all of a sudden the power went completely out. The gym was black, the music min could not be heard, the projectors shut off, and everyone was so stunned that they thought it was all done on purpose.

After a few seconds, everyone from the Program Committee looked at their stations and at one another with concern. What just happened? Left and right, service team members and CCs began to scramble, trying to fix the problem. We needed the power to come back on.

For myself, I ran up and down the venue trying to help find the breaker, trying to help in whatever way that I could in letting people know that everything was going to be okay. After five to ten minutes or so they eventually found the custodians and found the breaker. They were doing all that they could to get the power to come back on and right away. I walked around the gym once more and I headed back up to the tech booth area with relief, and stood there watching and listening to everyone worship.

As I was standing and subconsciously singing the worship lyrics aloud, I noticed some things that I hadn’t really recognized at first: 500 people were still worshiping with their whole hearts, but louder and with a greater extension of their body’s extremities; the music min was still playing their instruments and singing, but with greater physical strength, in hope that the people might hear; and there, on the centre of the stage, amongst the sea of darkness, was a single spotlight miraculously shining on Yan, who was still leading everyone into worship, but with greater conviction.

In awe, I asked God, “Why is this happening?”

Immediately I was reminded that His ways are not our ways. They are above us. They are above me. Personally, I realized that I wasn’t fully ready for this RYC. Yes, I prayed daily, went to mass days prior, went to the sacrament of reconciliation, and spent some time in adoration. But God wanted even more for me. He wanted me to be truly centred in Christ and to stop worrying about all the things that were still left undone.  God wanted me to rest in Him, to trust Him, and to be still. So that is what I did. I stood still, I trusted God, I smiled with gratefulness, and I worshipped Him.

In the CFC culture of worship, it is always two fast songs, and one slow song, but we needed to buy more time, so we extended the worship by another slow song. The power was slowly coming back, but it wasn’t complete.

After the worship, we sent the youth and CC delegates to go out of the main gym. After 5-10 minutes or so, the power was back on and everyone in the Program Committee was back on track. Praise God!

Encouraged by the Holy Spirit, I posted on Facebook, “Even if the lights and the power go out, we know that You Lord are the light of the world and the All-powerful. #ONEmountain”

At the end of all of the chaos, we found ourselves 40 minutes to 1 hour behind schedule. However with God’s goodness and grace, we were able to get right back on schedule with the tech script, but this time with a renewed recollection that humility and trust in God are essential in service.

Ad majorem Dei gloriam.