(Clearwisdom.net) After a day of heavy wind and snow, Chicago welcomed a new day with clear skies on the morning of November 25, 2004, but the temperature had dropped below 0o F. Prior to this time, Chicago had seen moderate temperatures of 60 degrees Fahrenheit. To the Midwestern Falun Gong practitioners who attended the Chicago Thanksgiving Day Parade, the combined wind and snow on the night of November 24 was unforgettable.
Because of our excellent performance last year, the organizing committee invited us back before the August 31 deadline. After two months of meticulous planning and preparation, everything seemed to be in order. Taiwanese practitioners rushed to make exquisite costumes for the banner performers, California practitioners made banners with Falun Dafa themes, and New York practitioners provided us with the Tang dynasty drums and silk costumes. Because we were short of young practitioners to perform drumming, we recruited young practitioners from other midwestern states to form a drum team.
We were chosen to be the third performance out of 120 teams due to the organizing committee's high expectations of us. Three major Broadcasting channels, ABC 7, FOX 32, and GNY 9 all wanted to interview us for the morning news. This event would be the most watched holiday parade in the US in which Falun Gong practitioners participated.
In order to perform well in the parade, the key task would be to have a combined rehearsal for the banner and drum teams. Practitioners from other midwestern states had to drive for 7 to 12 hours, and needed to be in Chicago before nine o'clock the night before. On the morning of November 24, fierce winds and heavy clouds swept over Chicago. Later, it started to rain and snow and the temperature dropped suddenly. The weather hadn't improved by 5:00 p.m.; rather, it got worse.
Although I had completed all the detailed preparations for the parade, and had intensified my efforts in sending forth righteous thoughts, my mind wasn't tranquil. After two months of preparation, interference came just at the most critical moment. Previously, some performers from Chicago hadn't shown up for all the practice sessions, and the quality of the drum performance by practitioners from other states was an unknown factor. I was concerned about what the consequences would be if we didn't have a joint practice prior to the parade. (The parade was to start at 8:30 a.m., and the TV station had asked us to be at the broadcasting area for an interview before 6:15 a.m.) I consulted with other practitioners to find a large indoor spot for the joint practice. However, changing the practice site would not be practical since practitioners from other states were already on their way to Chicago. Yet, it would be impossible to practice outdoors due to the bad weather.
I found an indoor practice site, and informed a practitioner in charge from another state, and notified some practitioners who live further away from Chicago. Then, a practitioner called me to say, "Since it is only 5:00 p.m., there is no need to change our original plan so soon. I have a feeling that the rain will have to stop by nine. Besides, it's impossible to have a joint practice indoors." I was awakened by his remark about "the rain will have to stop." That's right. It seemed that the evil had not interfered and wasn't at work until now. But it didn't mean that evil would be willing to give up trying. They are focusing on a final insane strike to put us in an impossible situation without any leeway for maneuvering. Don't we always say that we should never recognize the arrangements made by the old forces? Why are we trying to escape? During this time, I sent forth righteous thoughts, and looked inward. Evil forces were interfering beyond any doubt, but they can only scare ordinary people, only those who harbor selfish motives. They can't interfere with the Fa and a steadfast group of practitioners who are truly melted into the Fa.
The snow visibly subsided by 8:00 p.m. and we decided to practice at the original site. By nine, the snow had stopped. Practitioners from the other states kept calling in to say that they were being delayed by the snowstorm and would be arriving late. Some practitioners even mentioned that they had just left their cities. In order not to disturb nearby residents, we decided to move our practice to a parking lot in a park by Lake Michigan. Here, the wind was so strong that it caused the waves to splash high into the air. The icicles carried by the bitter cold wind smashed into our faces. It was piercingly cold.
Practitioners continued to arrive. I put on music to let practitioners start practicing, and to resist the bitter cold. But the recorder suddenly stopped. Another practitioner brought a CD player, but when I tried to connect it to a loud speaker, I found that the connector was mysteriously broken.
The wind then seemed to lessen a little, but dense feather-like snow started to fall. I shouted the order to organize the first group of practitioners for the banner practice. But I realized in my heart that even though I could shout the orders clearly, without matching the rhythm of the music, it would be no use.
Drummer practitioners from out of state started arriving. They organized themselves into a circle without any hesitation, trying to get familiar with the new movements by learning from each other. Using the sound system from a van, they solved the music problem. Even the banner-holding practitioners could hear the parade music clearly from their side, so they started to practice their movements as well. The sound of the drums was getting more uniform and coordinated well with the parade music.
At about 11:00 p.m., a police vehicle drove up to the parking lot and a policeman told us that he had to close the gate at 11:00 p.m. However, after he found out that we were practicing for the next day's parade, he was very surprised and his expression changed from surprise to respect. He agreed to let us stay until 11:30 p.m.
We immediately started to practice as a whole unit. I will never forget the scene at that moment. The drummers waved their drumsticks along with the music so captivatingly, and the sound of the drums was vigorous and unified. Gripping the ice-cold metal poles, the banner team kept marching back and forth, stomping through the icy cold slush. Everyone performed with righteous thoughts, although their hands were numb, their shoes and socks were soaked, their clothing was wet, and a few practitioners who did not have their jackets on totally forgot about the bitter cold weather. Everyone called out loudly to remind each other about the movements. The sound of the "Immense Power of the Drum" is the call for eradicating evil. The movements of the drumsticks and banner poles showed our unshakable determination to eliminate all evil, and the rehearsal practice was completed with efficiency and perfection.
The next day when we marched past the finish line, we couldn't refrain from beating the drums as loudly as we could. We were all touched by the immense joy we experienced within. I deeply realized that this grand performance was only possible through the Fa, and only because every practitioner had righteous thoughts and righteous actions. Although the end of the Fa-rectification period is fast approaching, the evils won't let you finish everything smoothly. They will persist in doing everything according to the so-called "test," in order to interfere with the Fa-rectification. However, we won't accept their arrangements, and we will walk through all these tribulations without compromise. This is Dafa practitioners' mighty virtue, and the evil is being thoroughly eliminated.
After the parade, a few practitioners remarked that they were keenly experiencing how the old forces interfered with the Fa-rectification, and that what they did was so obvious. However, the greatest Fa of the cosmos forged the greatest enlightened beings. So, when we shouted out "Thank you, Teacher" from the deepest part of our hearts, tears covered our faces.
