By H. Leung
(A mini-series on my journey of starting a bible study group at work)

A week after our divine encounter on the escalators where I asked the “Simple Question”, we were supposed to have our inaugural meeting.  I got to work and saw the email, “Sorry guys, I’m sick today and won’t make it to our meeting.” Of all the days to get sick?? Hrmm….

We rescheduled for the week after.  And if by happenstance or some other external force, we both had last minute meetings that stacked on top of our scheduled meeting time.  He asked, “Should we reschedule?” In which I replied, “No, if we keep rescheduling, we’ll lose our momentum.” So instead of a full hour, eeked out 30 minutes.

The half hour started out rocky, as if the floodgates opened and a tsunami of sewage came rushing in.  We wondered how a Fortune 500 company would allow a bible study group to exist while tip-toeing the modern-day delicate lines of diversity and inclusion.  We questioned our tenacity and drive. We complained about our low bandwidth. The energy kept draining and draining, and at the tail end of the 30 minutes, someone stepped on the proverbial brakes and our conversation came to a screeching halt – like when you walk by a break room, see a leftover donut or bagel, and no one’s looking.  

Our focus suddenly took a turn for the positive.  We started talking about what we CAN do. We brainstormed how we can set up a prayer table in the cafeteria in the morning.  We started listing out the gobs and gobs of resources of material that’s both workplace related and biblically based. We started dreaming big, how we can start with a core group here, and then expand it to different parts of our company, having mini-groups.  We didn’t want the conversation to end.

Looking back, when obstacles and boundaries are in front of you, when you are surrounded by naysayers and doubters, when the aura and energy is anything negative, take a moment, take inventory, and focus on the positive.  Instead of “What I can’t do….” Let’s focus on “What I can do.”

Lesson #2:  Acknowledge the negative, but focus on the positive.