Wake

Sunday morning rain is not falling, there is no reason for me to snooze away and tuck me back under the warm blanket. The odd thing happens again. I wake my alarm up. I mean, my eyes are opened before the first alarm even rings. It rarely happens to me. Rarely, except the last few weeks after I moved to Nijmegen.

I still can't figure out why I wake up earlier than usual. However, it seems that it is for my own benefit. 

The one obvious answer is that I do not miss church. I am going to Hillsong Amsterdam this week and as planned (I had checked the train timetable the night before) I need to take the 9:18 train. When I get to the train station at 9:07, that train will not get me to my destination. It will stop half way. In short, I have to find out another way to get to Amsterdam on time. 

I remember that the next train will make me late to church and even after I stare at the train information display, I do not see Amsterdam. I ran to the information desk just to see that the train to Amsterdam will leave in 3 minutes. 

Perfect timing!

I do not know how it is going to be if I wake up late today. I might be very grumpy and would not be able to enjoy God as much in the service. 

Sometimes I do not even realize that little things like waking up early is also a part of God's design in my life. It is his little prompts and small voices to be the best of us everyday. 

Have I been listening to him as much? Have you? Start with obeying the small little thing he asks.

Happy Sunday, everyone!

The Switch

God has come to restore broken relationships between

A father and his son,
A mother and her daughter,
A brother and his sister,
A husband and his wife,
A friend and her old friend,
A pastor and his assembly,
A boss and her employee, and
You and yourself. 

It does not matter how bad it looks right now or how hopeless you think it is, God is able to fix it. Do not wait 'til the other party make the first move, release your forgiveness first, bless them first, talk to them first, call them first, whatsapp/bbm them first, and tell them you love them first. And in case you are not in a good term with yourself, cut some slack, treat yourself better, feel good about yourself, and let it (the disappointment) go. 

I do not understand why I write this post out of the blue, but I do believe that there is power in restored relationships. When God has made the broken relationships new, we will be living proves of His work and His love. And we will freely shout that "True love exists. In Christ alone."

 

A Good Good Morning

I was about 1-minute behind the schedule and I saw my bus passed by me. It was about 200 more meter til I got to the bus stop. I thought to myself, "Oh, great, I am so gonna miss that bus. The driver will not wait for me." So I decided to run after it.

While I was letting go the sad fact that I might have to stand and wait for the next bus that comes in 15 more minutes, I suddenly saw an old lady walking slowly to the bus and she would be the last to enter. I grasped it. That was my chance. I ran for it.

I was still about 5 second run from the bus, but the old lady had entered the bus, the bus' door was closed as well. I almost lost hope 'til I saw that the bus was not moving yet. It waited for me. I could not believe it. It was the first time that a public bus actually waited for a late passenger like me. I finally made it and thanked the bus driver.

He was the kindest bus driver. And even though I ran out of breath, I had a good good morning.

Not Forgotten

God has always been thinking of us. He is preparing many great surprises for us; the ones that we actually need and like. 

In the circle of my close friends, it is known that I have been searching for a job for quite some time. They also know that since two weeks ago I have been offered a trial period in a company in Nijmegen.

Here's the complete version of the story...

For the 7 months I searched for employment, I had been in a long, dark, endless valley. Months passed without leaving any lasting trails and days went by like minutes. Part-time jobs, church, one-or-two days doing nothing except watching TV series, and one-or-two days trampling up and down the internet searching for a job was my weekly routine.

I tried so hard to be financially independent; I thought it was a sign of growing up and having a degree. However, sometimes I would still find myself calling my Mom and asking her to send some money over. Three part-time jobs still could not meet my ends for being able to stay in Europe. [Thanks Mom & Dad for not being stingy with me].

Amsterdam was and is a great city. I like the crowdyness of the streets and the presence of good foods. In my top list of the most frequent visit to a restaurant comes New King, Nam Kee, Kam Yin, Sumo, and the 10€ all-you-can-eat spare ribs place. They make me feel alive and in a movement --in Eindhoven, the city I had stayed before was quieter.

Once I knew that I would move to other city for work, I was very anxious. Since 2008, I had never visit that part of Holland. I did not know what the city has to offer. I was thinking to travel everyday from Amsterdam to Nijmegen. A total of 4 hours of commuting time. 

The first two days of traveling were exciting until the third I began to catch a cold. My will was surely strong but not my body. Thankfully, the boss and colleague insisted me to find a room in Nijmegen and I did send out some interests letters for room ads. That third day, I got a reply and a room. Fourth day of work, I moved in to Nijmegen.

After settling into my room, I wandered to the closest Albert Heijn, chose to take the other route back home, and finally found myself lost in the city.

The rain had just washed the streets of Nijmegen. From the fly-over bridge, the dark orange sky and the sun-setting sun said good-night behind the old church. The down- and up- hills road almost took all my energy away but the views keep giving me a little bit more energy to bike forward. In the oldest city of the Netherlands, I found some artistically-designed museums and city monuments, and some stone-paved roads--must be some left-overs from the Romans day.

At that moment, this thought all flashed down into my head, "It is awesome. Beautiful. Surprising. More than what I imagined the city would be like." And I remembered that God is faithful and the better is really in my future. 

I really believed that there would not be a city better than Amsterdam in Holland but there is. Yes, it took my friends and boss to insist me to move so that I would be able to be where I am right now, but a push and a nudge is sometimes needed for someone like me.

All in all, I am made believe that it is all God's doing. No plans would never fail His plan in my life--I am believing yours too. And indeed, He goes all the way to make it happen for us, even in our reluctance. 

Be prepared for surprises, friends!

Ineke & Clara

Recently I enjoyed watching Friends more than ever. My bestie likes the show too. We often imagine how life would be if our friendship could be as strong as the ones in that classic series of American TV.

Just as we were discussing about it, I was in a train with my soon-to-be colleague and sat beside two elderly women. Out of the blue, they started complementing how pretty we were and how unique our faces and hair colors were. FYI, Soukaina comes from Morocco and I come from Indonesia and it is quite common to find Indonesians and Moroccons in the Netherlands. So, to find them talking some good things about us was shocking.

Ater the shock, we started conversing about stuff and made jokes of why after 5-year living in this land of milk and cheese I haven't been able to speak the language boldly. They were so easy to talk to--they have so much to talk to us about, how generations change, how cool they were when they were younger, their travels, their kids, their lives, and most importantly their friendship.

I was the one who asked, "how long have you two known each other?"

They simply answer, "60 years, this year?"

I dropped my jaw. 60 years! My daddy has not even lived that long. Anyway, the meeting with those two ladies made me believe that friendship still exists and it is a beautiful scene to behold. 

Friendship looks good on TV but it is much better in reality. 

Why don't we thank God for a moment for the ones we have today and everyday in the next 60 years of our lives?

Very honored and thankful to encounter you, Ineke & Clara. 

R

Beautiful Things

Along with the ups and downs of my spiritual journey, I admit that I have not been praising God with songs and music as much as I used to. Not that praising God in quietness and solitude is wrong, but it is my style to express my gratitude and my feelings with noise. I switch to immersing myself in and studying the Word more than I used to. I made notes and read the word in different versions, just to get a different rhema each day. 

Strangely, without a clear reason, recently, I miss my old style of praise. But as I try to open my mouth, I can hardly say any words nor sing any songs. I am lost for words. Probably, I am not used to it anymore. However as I keep trying to make it a habit, this song below came to me. It was the song that I used to sing almost everyday before the switch. I have forgotten it for a while. But when I start singing it again, I realize that this is my prayers.

Jadikan Aku Indah (GMB) -- Turn me into something beautiful 

Jadikan aku indah
Yang Kau pandang mulia
Seturut karya-Mu didalam hidupku
Ajarku berharap hanya kepada-Mu
Taat dan setia kepada-Mu, Tuhan

Turn me into something beautiful
So You'll see me worthy (holy)
According to Your works in my life
Teach me to put my hope in You only 
Obedient and faithful to You, O God

Kudatang ya Bapa
Dalam kerinduan
Memandang keindahan-Mu
Kuberikan s'galanya
Semuanya yang ada
Ku ingin menyenangkan hati-Mu oh Tuhan 

I come to You Father
With a longing heart
I admire Your beauty 
I am giving you my all
Everything there is with me
I want to please Your heart, O, God

P.S. Sorry for the rough translation. Hope you get me. 

Elixir of Life

Every little thing is a blessing,
if only we see it.

Take me to mountain tops,
save me from this darkness.

I want to see it all,
Your goodness to me.

I want to thank you,
Your amazing hands.

Re-blogged from Mumble Bumble Jumble. Check out the link and see the story behind these texts. Your cases may be heavier than mine, but despite all, remember to give thanks. Make a habit out of it. Find out that it is the elixir of life. Hopefully, when difficult times come and we find it hard to give thanks, we'll do it anyway because it is our lifestyle. It is incorporated in our soul, heart, and mind.