Glancing in A Mirror

Every morning when I get up from bed I always check my look at the mirror next to my bed. Sometimes I need to see if my pimples have disappeared during the night, or it is just inevitable, because I need to take stuffs from the table in front of the mirror. Sometimes I like what I see, sometimes honestly I don't.

When I prepare myself before going to work, I really need the mirror. When I feel satisfied with my look, it's easier for me to walk out my room lightly. There were days when I just felt so off and need to lighten up myself, rating my appearance was just barely okay, especially after lack of sleep, having bad hair day, hard-to-rid pimple on my face.

Every day we also need to glance at our spiritual mirror. God's words are my spiritual mirror. It shows the look of my spiritual face. Sometimes I like how I look, but many times I don't like at all.  

http://www.flickr.com/photos/_theo_/4441175725/

James 1:23-25
 For if you listen to the word and don’t obey, it is like glancing at your face in a mirror.  You see yourself, walk away, and forget what you look like.  But if you look carefully into the perfect law that sets you free, and if you do what it says and don’t forget what you heard, then God will bless you for doing it.

One day I read about how generous Jesus is.. how He gave a perfect sacrifice just because of love and I realise how many times I still calculate whenever I give offering or present or help to my friends. That's when I forget what I look like.

Another day I read about patience and self control.. a person who can control himself is more than a person who conquer a city. I remember how easily I became angry when a car behind me honk like crazy, just because I was late for 4 seconds to move forward in a traffic jam. That's when I forget what I look like.

Today I read about considering trouble as an opportunity for great joy. I admit that recently I complained too much, just about anything ...the workload, my moody water pump, my mobile sauna..(the air conditioner in my car worked in accordance to the weather outside). That's when I forget what I look like.

God's words are in us and when we do it ..the Words become alive and growing to be part of us. We are unified with God by His Words manifested  in our actions.
This morning when I glance at my mirror, Lord, by Your grace help me not to forget how I really look like today.

Against All Odds

One leg climber conquer Elbrus (5642 m) - the highest mountain in Europe
I read this article when I browsed www.kompas.com last Sunday. What a super achievement! Realising that a normal two legged person, like me, would climb even a hill is unthinkable.

How impossible it may seem...but it happened and has already written in history. Sabar Gorky became the first one-legged person who conquered Elbrus on 17 August 2011. Conquering the highest mountain in Europe from the north route known as the toughest route, with stick on his right hand and Indonesian red & white flag on his left hand.

Mount Elbrus-Russia

Against all odds Sabar defeated his physical limitations, harsh weather..it was minus 15 Celsius degree, raucous mountain wind, and general opinion that climbing mountain is only for physically normal person.

An extraordinary achievement that made me feel ashamed about how ungrateful I am against the odds, that I should now consider normal against what Sabar had to go through.


The next evening I watch Precious DVD with my good friend. It told a story about 16 year old girl who faced so many unimaginable terrible things in her life. She was obese, two times pregnant from his own father, living with abusive mother that abuse her not only physically but also verbally. The whole mom and daughter conversation  was filled with so many f*** words, that surely gonna be cut in Indonesian cinemas and would certainly remove the whole conversation scenes.  Contrary to all the horrible things happened in her life, the girl name was Precious. At the ending of the film, she came to know that she got HIV from her father and she broke. She cried to her teacher Ms. Rain how "love" got her HIV, abused her, never had any boyfriend but got two children.

The film ended with Precious holding the hand of Mongo her first down-syndrome daughter, carried her new born baby Abdul, walked confidently down the street. She had determined to improve her life for herself and her children. Cutting ties with her mother, she planned to continue her education until college.

Although this was not base on a true story, this movie gave lessons that no matter how unfortunate the circumstances around us, we still have freedom of choice..either to keep on going against all odds or to give up on hope.

My life may posses some challenges that I have to face daily. Compared with all the odds that Sabar and Precious had gone through, it all seems so insignificant. God knows our own limitations and whatever He allow us to experience, He is confident enough that we can go through them all with high marks.

No test or temptation that comes your way is beyond the course of what others have had to face. All you need to remember is that God will never let you down; He'll never let you be pushed past your limit; He'll always be there to help you come through it.  (1 Corinthians 10:13)

 

      

Sayang, aku bukanlah Bang Toyib

Perhentian terakhir busway di terminal Kalideres. Aku terbangun dari tidur singkatku, karena malam itu adalah salah satu malam keberuntunganku..menikmati tempat duduk yang sangat berharga setelah 20 menit ngantri dan berdesak-desakan di Harmoni.


Menyeberang perempatan terminal Kalideres bersama serombongan orang di tengah mobil dan motor yang masih melaju, karena lampu lalu lintas masih menunjukkan warna hijau. Apa bisa dikata "majority rules!" meskipun kami melanggar aturan..toh petugas di  tengah perempatan malah menyetop arus kendaraan supaya kami bisa menyeberang.


Di depan barisan tukang ojek aku menunggu metro mini 95 atau angkot B09A atau biasa disingkat boga. Setelah 5 menit menunggu, tampak 95 mendekat. Aku naik dan dapat tempat duduk di tengah. Setelah membayar dua ribu rupiah, pikiranku mulai melayang...makanan apa yang masih tersisa di kulkas. Hem ..masih ada sisa tempe 2 hari lalu dan sedikit ikan cakalang pemberian teman hari Minggu kemarin di gereja. Belum selesai aku menyimpulkan menu makan malamku, naik dua orang bocah laki-laki pengamen usia sekitar 8 tahunan. Dengan menggunakan tepukan tangan mulai mengalun sebuah lagu yang menjadi familiar di telingaku sejak dua bulan yang lalu.

      Kau bilang padaku, kau ingin bertemu
      ku bilang padamu oh ya nanti dulu
      aku lagi sibuk sayang, aku lagi kerja sayang
      untuk membeli beras dan sebongkah berlian

dilanjutkan dengan bagian reff
       sayang, aku bukanlah bang toyib
       yang tak pulang-pulang
       yang tak pasti kapan dia datang
      
       sabar sayang, sabarlah sebentar
       aku pasti pulang karna aku bukan
        aku bukan bang Toyib

Dengan suara polosnya, mereka menyanyikan refrain "aku bukan bang Toyib" beberapa kali, sebelum mengedarkan kantung. Beberapa penumpang memberikan apresiasi, beberapa melambaikan tangan dan akhirnya mereka pun turun.

Aku mulai teringat pertama kali aku mendengar lagu ini, sekitar dua bulan yang lalu, di atas metro mini dan juga dinyanyikan pengamen kecil. Setelah itu sepertinya lagu "Aku bukan bang Toyib" adalah lagu wajib bagi pengamen anak-anak. Baik di atas metro mini 95 jurusan Kalideres - Taman Anggrek, P12 - Senin Kalideres, B09A...rute yang biasa aku jalani. Mungkin karena nada yang gampang dinyanyikan dan lirik yang mudah diingat. Tapi satu hal yang agak aneh, kenapa yang  menyanyikan lagu ini mayoritas pengamen cilik, tak peduli laki-laki atau perempuan?

Akhirnya aku google lagu ini. Lagu "Aku bukan bang Toyib" adalah lagu karangan grup band Wali, dan ternyata sebelum lagu ini populer, ada lagu lain yang aku belum pernah dengar, berjudul Bang Toyib. Liriknya menceritakan pria bernama Bang Toyib yang tidak pulang selama 3x lebaran, walau anak istrinya menunggu - nunggu.

Mungkin bagi anak-anak jalanan ini lagu "Aku bukan Bang Toyib"  adalah harapan terpendam mereka untuk bapak mereka yang jarang pulang, ataupun sudah meninggalkan mereka karena berbagai macam alasan. Saat ini di Jakarta diperkirakan ada 8 ribu anak jalanan yang menghabiskan hari - hari mereka dengan naik turun angkot untuk mengamen, menjajakan koran, minuman atau meminta-minta di perempatan lalu lintas, dan tidur di ruang publik terbuka mulai dari stasiun, trotoar di depan mall sampai koridor menuju halte busway.

Pemerintah berusaha menangani masalah ini dengan jalan memberi tabungan sebesar Rp.1,4 juta kepada setiap anak jalanan, yang disalurkan melalui orang tua dan rumah singgah. Tabungan itu digunakan untuk menutupi kebutuhan anak seperti uang jajan, nutrisi dan kebutuhan lainnya. Kementerian Sosial menargetkan program pemberian tabungan bagi anak jalanan dapat menjangkau delapan ribu orang di Jakarta. "Yang sudah kita selesaikan (penanganannya) sampai bulan ini, sekitar 3.500 anak," ujar Menteri Sosial Salim Segaf Al Jufri seusai rapat di Kantor Wakil Presiden, Kamis 7 April 2011. (sumber: Tempo Interaktif 8 April 2011 - Delapan Ribu Anak Jalanan di Jakarta Akan Diberi Tabungan ). Sudah cukupkah upaya ini untuk mengentaskan anak-anak ini dari jalanan ibu kota?


Banyak akademisi sudah meneliti tentang fenomena anak jalanan. Mengapa mereka harus menjadikan jalanan ibukota sebagai tempat tinggal mereka, mengapa mereka harus mencari nafkah di jalan raya daripada tinggal di rumah dan belajar di sekolah.  Salah satu faktor penyebab adalah keluarga. Ada yang sudah tidak punya orang tua sama sekali, ada yang ditinggal ayah mereka, ada juga yang diharuskan bekerja oleh orang tua mereka. Kemiskinan...pengangguran...tidak punya tempat tinggal. Mungkin anak - anak ini  tidak sempat bertanya kepada orang tua mereka, mengapa mereka harus hidup seperti ini.


Keluarga adalah sebuah unit sosial yang terdiri dari orang tua dan anak. Kembali ke lirik lagu Bang Toyib..setiap anak membutuhkan figur ayah yang sanggup mengayomi keluarga mereka, mencukupi kebutuhan secara material dan spritual. Siapakah yang sanggup mengambil peran ayah bagi mereka? Siapakah panutan mereka untuk masa depan mereka? Preman, tukang copet, tukang palak, penjambret, ahli pidato intimidasi di angkot ?


Sebuah pertanyaan yang aku juga masih belum menemukan jawabannya. Jujur, aku masih belum berbuat banyak untuk mereka selain memberi uang receh. Untungnya, tidak semua orang sepertiku...ada banyak sukarelawan yang sudah berbuat jauh lebih banyak dengan mendirikan rumah singgah, memberikan pendidikan, pendampingan, menyediakan makanan bergizi dan banyak lain.


Berikut adalah informasi link beberapa yayasan yang punya misi untuk membantu anak jalanan di Jakarta dan sekitarnya :

• www.sahabatanak.com 
• www.aulia-kids.org
• www.love-mahanaim.or.id
• www.iscofoundation.org

Dunia bisa menjadi tempat yang ramah atau tempat yang paling kejam bagi anak jalanan. Apakah yang menjadi dunia mereka saat ini? Bisakah kita membangun keluarga sebagai tempat perlindungan mereka...tempat mereka merasakan kasih orang tua, melihat figur bapak sebagai teladan dan tempat mereka membangun mimpi ..

Don't you see that children are God's best gift?
the fruit of the womb his generous legacy?
Like a warrior's fistful of arrows
are the children of a vigorous youth.
Oh, how blessed are you parents,
with your quivers full of children!

( Psalm 127 : 3-5a - The Message)

A Dream That Lasts

What kind of dream that will last for a lifetime?When I think about this question, it occurs to me that actually  I do not remember what my childhood dream was. I just consent on how to study well and get good grades. When I was a teenager I thought I want to be a doctor because I like to help people. However when I did not get accepted into the medical major at the state university, I just easily swayed to study other major. I did not give too much thinking about what I will study there, what knowledge I can use after I graduated, what kind of career I want to achieve using the result of my 4.5 years study. Maybe I was too flexible or I haven't given serious thought about what I want my future would be.

Now I was already in my thirties. I have a job that could support me, live in a house with my two friends, involved in ministry at church, keep contact with my friend occasionally ...and now something inside me asked what else you want to achieve. Can I still dream at my current age while I am still not quite sure what my passion is?

Joseph was given dream when he was seventeen that his family would bow down before him. It took 13 years of being  thrown into a pit, sold as a slave, wrongly accused, jailed and forgotten until his dream finally become reality. Abraham had dream at 75 years of age, when God told him that He will make Abram a great nation It took him 25 years of waiting, asking questions, looking for his own solution before he finally got the promised son.

Paul was in his thirties when he pursued his dream of capturing and torturing Jesus's followers. However at the midst of his passionate journey, God intervened and from that day his life was changed to a totally different direction. He walked in God's dream all the way until the end of his life.

The very credentials these people are waving around as something special, I'm tearing up and throwing out with the trash—along with everything else I used to take credit for. And why? Because of Christ. Yes, all the things I once thought were so important are gone from my life. Compared to the high privilege of knowing Christ Jesus as my Master, firsthand, everything I once thought I had going for me is insignificant—dog dung. I've dumped it all in the trash so that I could embrace Christ and be embraced by Him (Philippians 3:8 - The Message)

Those were what Paul wrote in one of his many letters to the early churches. Measured with human standards of success, it is very difficult for Paul to get into the list of successful people. He was stoned, being ridiculed,  beaten, abandoned, chained and jailed till the end of his life. He had to support his ministry by his own work. One of Paul's big dream was to testify before Caesar in Rome. Although not as he had planned, God fulfilled his dream. Paul was taken to Rome as prisoner who appealed to Caesar instead of as a free missionary.

A dream that lasts is a God's given dream. 
It propped out from the deep of our heart now and then....in the midst of our routine, during our rest time, in the middle of our conservation with our friends...when we lie alone in our bed. 
It will keep bothering us until we give enough attention and effort to start working on it.

On second thought, I think I may have one or two dreams that will last for a lifetime..

When Faith is At Work

Faith is believing without proof . Believing in what seems impossible, in what seems so unlikely to happen. Having faith requires limitless energy. It's easier just to accept the circumstances as it is, rather than preserving the faith that things are going to be as what we have envisioned . Aren't we to be grateful with what we have? Yes I am grateful for where I am now, but my heart still yearns for better things for my future.

Time goes so fast, sometimes it's just like yesterday when I started my life in Jakarta. Next June would be my 10th year living in Jakarta. What a journey...ten years with three jobs, one local church, three times house moving, three times mobile phones stolen, two times wallet stolen, sharing the ups and downs with great friends that I met here. I admit that it has been an exciting journey and I am grateful  I have God accompany me along the way. When I heard my dad had his second stroke, when I felt I was so broke, when I started comparing with others, when I took 8 teenagers in my 5 seat jeep, when I walked home alone at 10 pm, when I see the impossibles happen in my jobs, when my car had problems (and it happened several times at unlikely places), when my close friends stand by me and encourage me when I am down...those are the times when faith is at work.

There are times when the flame of hope starts to dim. But faith refuses to let the light go off. Jesus had big faith for his disciples to share the gospel after He ascended to heaven. These are the people who slept when He prayed with agony the night He was captured, who deserted Him when He was mocked and tortured, who didn't remember His teaching again and again. However they all have hearts that love Him. That's good enough for Jesus to see them as the disciples who will bring the gospel of salvation to the world. He has proven that  His faith did not fail, as two thousand years after, me and millions other are saved  because of the gospel shared by Jesus disciples .

When faith is at work, it's not only our faith in God, but it's also about God's faith in us. Talking about confidence and trust from us to God and the other way around. What an honour to be given such trust. His faith in me gives hope whenever mine starts to weaken. In whatever situation God never fails to comfort and takes my hands to walk the situation together..either His voice or His angels or whoever He sent to be with me whenever I needed it most.

When faith is at work, it energizes our life. In the midst of our mundane tasks, faith gives excitement in our lives. Believing that God is trustworthy enough to deliver His promises. During the waiting time, do what Abraham did...count the stars. Speak His promises that He has put in our hearts until we are fully convinced that they are ours already.

Abraham never wavered in believing God’s promise. In fact, his faith grew stronger, and in this he brought glory to God.  He was fully convinced that God is able to do whatever he promises. (Romans 4:20-21)

and
Life is so beautiful when faith is at work...

Kindness - A Heart Warmer to Your Day

This morning I took metro mini (public transportation's  passenger car) on the way to my work. I stopped at the bus terminal because I had to take bus with different direction. Before I get out, a young lady stepped out and paid the driver with the amount of fifty thousand rupiah. It's a very big amount because the actual cost is only two thousand rupiah. The driver said," It's okay...no need to pay cos I don't have the change." The lady was stunned and asked a couple times " Is that okay, Bang? Thanks a lot!" and she looked blushed when she finally get out from the car. When I get out a couple minutes later, I gave five thousand rupiah to the driver and told him I would pay for that lady. Surprisingly the driver said it's not necessary and returned to me three thousand rupiah.

This was the act of kindness that has warmed my entire day. I admired that driver. Two thousand rupiah is a valuable amount for public transportation drivers. If you are the faithful user of public vehicles in Jakarta, you will be common with the drivers who ask eleven impatient passengers to wait for the last a twelfth person to fill up his car, before starting his route. The driver who brake his vehicle suddenly whenever he saw a passenger's candidate waiting at the side of the road. This morning the driver just gave a treat to the lady who was more well of than him. For me he is richer than any of his passengers that day, because he still has kindness to be given to other person.

It makes me think, what kindness I could give to others today. Maybe giving my seat at the Trans Jakarta bus, or giving an ear to a friend's story, or just being generous..Being kind will warm your heart and it also has the effect of  chicken soup that will warm your body for your entire day. Have a portion today !

Disappoint No More

“Are you the Messiah we’ve been expecting, or should we keep looking for someone else?”

John the Baptist asked this question to Jesus through his disciples, when he was in the prison. It was in the early stage of Jesus ministry. While Jesus was freely teaching the gospel, healing sick people and making miracles, John was prisoned for publicly criticized Herod Antipas, the ruler of Galilee, for marrying Herodias, his brother’s wife.

John the Baptist spent his entire life to prepare the way for Jesus coming. John's ministry was so important that Jesus did not start His ministry before John baptised him. Never a second John claimed the honour belong to the Son of Man. Even when Israelites kept asking him whether he was the coming Messiah, John never failed to say," I am not the Messiah. A man is coming after me who is far greater than I am, for He existed long before me."

John had started his ministry by preaching the gospel and baptising people before Jesus started His ministry.

Multitudes came to him ask for repentance and getting baptised. However when there were more people came to Jesus to be baptised than to him, people started questioning him. In response to them, John calmly said, "It is the bridegroom who marries the bride, and the best man is simply glad to stand with him and hear his vows. Therefore, I am filled with joy at his success.  He must become greater and greater, and I must become less and less." What a great answer from a person who is always secure in his calling.

But then things didn't go out that well for John. He was prisoned for speaking the truth and  could not continue his ministry. Instead of walking beside Jesus and seeing His wondrous works among the people of Israel, he was locked up in jail. It seemed everything went wrong for him. Desperate and maybe disappointed... he sent his disciples to ask one question to Jesus, the person he had testified for all his life.

“Are you the Messiah we’ve been expecting, or should we keep looking for someone else?”

Why did he start to doubt Jesus? He saw the heaven opened and Holy Spirit came upon Jesus in the form of dove when he baptised Him. If Jesus was not Messiah then all his ministry, works, and his purpose of life were all a big mistake, because he would have given wrong testimony to the people of Israel. But that thought came to John the Baptist's mind. Did I mistakenly baptise and testify about the wrong person?

People can start to question God's calling in their life, when they think that the circumstances they face don't go out the way they have expected. When we agree to follow God's calling upon our life, actually we have surrendered our rights to Him. He may put us in unfavoured situation that make us want to shout why.

Throughout the bible we could read so many man and woman of God experienced difficult situation because of their calling. Prison was common place for Joseph, Jeremiah, Paul, Silas and other apostles. For Daniel it was lions' den, for Daniel's friends it was the blazing furnace. Sometimes God even allowed them to go through the difficult situation all alone. They did not become sour in their spirit but they just became stronger in their faith to God. They did not become disappointed on God, situation or people and just kept on going till the end.

Jesus answered John the Baptist by saying," Go and tell John what you hear and observe: the blind see, the lame walk, lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the destitute hear the good news.
How blessed is anyone who is not offended by me!"

On the next passage we read that John was beheaded by Herod as a gift for his step daughter. I believe Jesus answer had relieved all the questions, doubts and disappointment that had for a short time troubled him. The best man hadn't known that around 2 years later, the bride groom himself, Jesus would face even worse situation than him. Abandoned by his disciples, tortured, humiliated and crucified, Jesus kept saying, "Father, forgive them, for they don't know what they're doing."

Whenever we become disappointed during our journey with God, which may come often, never feel that we are alone. Many people have walked that path, even faced  worse situation than us. Questions are normal, as long as we ask them to the right person...God himself. His answers always come at the right time. He can heal any broken heart, disappointment, hurt, but there is one thing  He could not do, one thing that we have to do ourselves. It's one thing that Jesus had done Himself on the cross....to forgive...

And we will be able to say...no more will I be disappointed for God Himself is more than enough for me..