Maria Tjandrawidjaja
I thank for what that happened in my life in 2013. In 2013 which was the year of God’s accompanying, I really felt God's accompanying in my life. In 2013, I felt that some points of the Word became my personal experience as follows:
God blesses us.
- About the Word "if we do not give the tithes, we will be cursed". Since I did not give the tithes of my brother that was entrusted to me immediately, I have to experience money deficiency for a while. I ever lived with minimum money and it was really like a curse.
- About the Word "God never lies". It is related to the negligence in giving the tithes. When I did not have enough money, the most important thing at that time was I could eat and delay the payment of my insurance.
My salary should have been enough for one month but I had not paid the insurance yet, so my money was not enough anymorebecause I had to pay the insurance doubly. But, I had committed that I did not want to ask to my parents. God really never lies. When I needed, He gave it in due time.
When I joined the fellowship in Singapore, I gave the money for accommodation. But, I did not know the details and I did not want to ask. Suddenly, I was called by the wife of the pastor. She asked about my money that I had given for the fellowship in Singapore. The amount of money I had given was more than the proper amount, so I received the rest of my money at that time. Praise the Lord. When I needed money, God had the way to give it to me.
Moreover, at that time, my motorcycle had a problem and I had to bring it to service station. If I had not received that money, I would not have been able to go to the service station for sure and it was dangerous if I forced my motorcycle without the lamp to go to the church on Monday. Praise the Lord, He has arranged everything neatly. - About the Word "through General Service, the gifts will be added by God" and "serving God is like receiving lottery".
In the past time, I had ministered in Surabaya on Monday and Wednesday only. On Saturday and Sunday, I ministered in Malang.
In 2011, I returned to Malang because of my job, so I did not minister in Surabaya anymore. In 2012, God allowed me to work in Surabaya again and I committed that I wanted to minister on Sunday evening in Surabaya.
So, I was fully shepherded in Surabaya.
God guided me until I could minister in Youth Service in Surabaya too. Suddenly, the pastor decided that youth choir had to sing alone on Sunday, separated from the general choir.
I surprised more because I was chosen to train the youth choir.
Actually, I had not been able to read the note of song when joining the youth choir for the first time. But, slowly, God added the giftto me and I did not know the exact time I could read the note of song.
I believed that General Service that I did in Malang and Surabaya progressively increased the gift and gave new ministry to me. Through this event, my eyes were opened more that ministering God is really like receiving lottery. I thought why I was chosen to train the youth choir while I knew the others who were better than me.
I should rejoice like a person who received a lottery and minister God earnestly without grumbling. - About the Word "there were wisdom and power of God behind the cross".
Before visiting Singapore, I had been told by my father to look for a place and ask the price of a thing there.
Actually, I felt lazy to find that place. I thought that it was better to walk around to other place because I had to go home (to Indonesia) earlier for working.
But, at last, I decided to find that place. In fact, it was the way of God to show me the way to go home alone. If I had walked around, I would not have known the way home (to the airport to go to Indonesia) and I would have been confused.
Behind flesh suffering, there is the wisdom of God for helping us against our problem.
Relating to the flesh suffering, I was thankful because I was still allowed experiencing the suffering of flesh to hold the true teaching Word. A few months ago, there was a prayer service in my office. It was the first time for me. I knew nothing, but suddenly, before it was begun, I had heard that the person in charge was a woman.
I still did not know what kind of charge it was. In the worshiping room, I just knew that the charge was to be a song leader. In a short time, a woman I had never seen before came. I was getting restless, so I asked my boss, "Will she preach?". It was true and I decided to go out from the worshiping room.
At that time, my boss wondered with my decision but he did not protest. The same event happened again in next few months. At that time, he looked for male preacher, but the song leader was female.
Firstly, I thought that I would join the preaching of the Word without the praise.
But, towards the day of the prayer service, I was not calm and I asked my pastor and he said thatI did not need to join it.
This time, when I said that I could not join because the song leader had to be male also, protests began to comeand one of them said "your church was strange. It was pity for women in your church".
It absolutely hurt the flesh, but I was thankful that I could be firmand allowed by God to experience the sprinkling of blood.
I was most afraid to face the sprinkling of blood. I often eschewed it, but this time I could keep fighting.
Besides, the Word that we may not go to cinema was strange too for the people in my office.
They knew other churches that forbade the congregation to go to cinema, but they kept assuming that the teaching I hold was strange.
It is hard for holding the true teaching, but I believe that behind everything, God has provided something beautiful for me.
God blesses us.