my weekend in sydney

Last Thursday I went to Sydney for my third work conference. Admittedly, I wasn't too keen on going as I was still recovering from a yucky cold (again! I seem to be getting EVERY bug that has gone around this year - really dodgy immunity huh?) and I was kinda scared that my head would explode while flying to and from Sydney. Thank God it didn't. On top of that, I had been feeling really stressed at work and didn't really have the heart to do much more than just stay at home and feel sorry for myself. But I'm really glad that I got over my little emotional slump and went to have a bit of R and R in Sydney. It turned out to be a blessed time.

Blessing One. Catching my flight. For work, I needed to do a Case Conference with one of my clients and his doctor. The Dr not only rocked up one hour late, he also saw someone ahead of us because my client had popped off to the loo just before he called us in! I was already cutting it really fine having booked the Case Conference on the afternoon I was supposed to leave, and the doctor couldn't even wait a few minutes! Thank God I made it in time, and thank God even more that the flight ended up being delayed as well (giving me even more time to settle down).

Blessing Two. As I lay in my bed reading my Bible, the girl I was sharing my room with asked me if I read the Bible every night, and then the opportunity came for me to share the Gospel with her! Though she listened to everything I shared with her, I think there's a lot more watering that needs to be done on that little seed.

Blessing Three. The food at the conference was great.

Blessing Four. I learnt heaps. And the location of Coogee Beach was beautiful.

Blessing Five. I had the Friday morning off, and was able to not only have a wander around the shops, I was also able to give out some of my 30in30 tracts in Sydney! You can see some of them here. I also, later that weekend, was able to give out a tract on George Street! If you don't know why I am excited about this, you should click here and then press play.

Blessing Six. Now this one's a good one. On the Friday night of the conference, there was a dinner that all delegates attended. Traditionally, it's a time where people fill their stomachs so they can have a big night afterwards involving pubbing, clubbing, and lots of alcohol. It's a difficult time as a Christian to stand alone and not participate in such activities, especially if EVERYONE around you is doing it, and encouraging you to do the same. I ended up following them down to the hotel bar for two minutes before I had enough and went back upstairs to my room. That night, I felt very alone and very different to everyone else - and I started missing home and wishing that I was in Regen instead of being alone in a hotel room in Coogee Beach. That was until a song came into my head...

Tho dark be the night and long be the day,
Lord make me follow in Thy perfect way.
Tho cometh sorrow, tho great be my pain,
Lord make me serve Thee, come sunshine or rain

The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord,
And he delighteth in His way.
Tho he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down;
For the Lord, For the Lord
For the Lord upholdeth him with His hand.

This gave me great comfort in knowing that I had done the right thing, and even though in the process I may have isolated myself from everyone else, I had followed in the path that was ordered by the Lord. The night was dark, and the day was quite long, but the Lord really upheld me with His hand at that time.

What makes this blessing even cooler was that I was told that this same song was sung at the combined meeting of Regeneration and Youth180 on the same night, and that one sister even thought of me when she sung that song. It was exactly what my soul needed at the time, and it gave me the peace to go to sleep and find true rest in the Lord.

Blessing Seven. My cheap Sydney Hotel on Saturday night. Good location, clean, new, comfortable and with FREE breakfast.

Blessing Eight. Meeting up with brothers and sisters in Sydney. On Saturday night and Sunday morning I was blessed with the opportunity to meet with our ex-Perthies-who-now-live-in-Sydney, Yew Jinn, Gavin, Yanny and Shih Pei. It was so encouraging to catch up with some familiar faces and see them in their new church - Sydney BP. Though they miss the fellowship in Perth, I could really see that God had moved them to Sydney for a reason and that He had plans to use them to encourage our sister church. I also realised that Sydney BP (especially the youth) need our prayers and encouragement. I was also able to catch-up with Tina, after about two years, and spend the afternoon with her, Gavin and Shih Pei over some hot chocolate and a serve of probably the best waffles I have ever had the blessing of tasting in my life.

All in all, it was a great weekend, and one that was full of some real blessings. I'm sure there are plenty more that I have forgotten about, but I'm pretty tired now and I need to get some rest.

Thank You God for a great weekend :D