Insight (1)
It happened on Saturday - Sunday, Sept. 13-14, 2008.
I want to tell an experience that I got last week. I need to change my conduct and my way of thinking and seeing things. Last week, my friend who used to translate our church newsletter and interpret our pastor's sermon, went back home to Indonesia for good with his future wife, so I had to ask another friend to replace his position. I can not do the tasks alone. Ing said that he was willing to help in the ministry. When we were online on yahoo messenger- I think it was Sunday evening or probably Monday, I asked Ing whether he wanted to translate the newsletter that week or the following week. He agreed to do it that week (Sept.14), so I gave him the templates and email and password of our church bulletin team. Saturday, I was free and I was tired, so all day I just took a rest, did the laundry and cleaned up my house. Then at 0.30 a.m., early sunday morning, he popped up in the yahoo messenger and I asked him whether he had finished the translation. To my surprise, he said he had not done it. I was shocked, so I asked him to do that because he had agreed to translate the bulletin that week. He said that he did not know and he waited for an instruction. I did not yell nor got angry. I just asked him to do it and reminded him of his willingness to do the translation. He asked me the email and password again. So I gave them. I did not want to give pressure on him so I said if he could not do it that day, it was OK to skip that week without English version. I said that if he had any difficulties, he could call me on my cellphone, at that time actually I was tired so I closed the messenger and slept. Well, to be honest, in the ministry, probably in every kind of job not only in the church ministry alone, we have to take initiative and be proactive. I did not know what happened. On Sunday afternoon, I went to church for our 2.30 p.m service. Again, to my surprise, there was the English version, it meant that he managed to finish it that day. I heard that he finished it at 4 a.m. I read it and his translation was perfect. His English ability is excellent. His language skills are better than me. I thanked him for his effort and perfect translation. In my heart, I was very happy as if I wanted to leap. There was not envy nor angry feeling, I was just very happy for him. That day, our Pastor's wife, thanked us, the church newsletter team. She asked the congregation to pray for us and they prayed for us. She also asked the congregation to appreciate the newsletter and not just leave it on the bench after they read it or after the service. I learnt two things from this. First, when we do our task diligently, God will reward us. Second, I should have helped him, not just leave him alone. That day, I just got a kind of revelation, that actually I could have helped him by splitting the translation, not just leave it all to him. There are several parts in the newsletter, such as the article, from the pastor's heart, daily devotion, prayers points, etc. I could have translate the article and prayer points, or some other parts and he did other parts. Why didn't I think that way that night? When I was regretting it, a voice came to me that it was time for him to rely on God, God would help him, although his friends did not help him. It does not mean that I lift up my hands and justify myself for my ignorance. It reveals that I was still a selfish and short-minded person. Gotta improve myself and my character. Thank you for YOUR revelation and insight!
I want to tell an experience that I got last week. I need to change my conduct and my way of thinking and seeing things. Last week, my friend who used to translate our church newsletter and interpret our pastor's sermon, went back home to Indonesia for good with his future wife, so I had to ask another friend to replace his position. I can not do the tasks alone. Ing said that he was willing to help in the ministry. When we were online on yahoo messenger- I think it was Sunday evening or probably Monday, I asked Ing whether he wanted to translate the newsletter that week or the following week. He agreed to do it that week (Sept.14), so I gave him the templates and email and password of our church bulletin team. Saturday, I was free and I was tired, so all day I just took a rest, did the laundry and cleaned up my house. Then at 0.30 a.m., early sunday morning, he popped up in the yahoo messenger and I asked him whether he had finished the translation. To my surprise, he said he had not done it. I was shocked, so I asked him to do that because he had agreed to translate the bulletin that week. He said that he did not know and he waited for an instruction. I did not yell nor got angry. I just asked him to do it and reminded him of his willingness to do the translation. He asked me the email and password again. So I gave them. I did not want to give pressure on him so I said if he could not do it that day, it was OK to skip that week without English version. I said that if he had any difficulties, he could call me on my cellphone, at that time actually I was tired so I closed the messenger and slept. Well, to be honest, in the ministry, probably in every kind of job not only in the church ministry alone, we have to take initiative and be proactive. I did not know what happened. On Sunday afternoon, I went to church for our 2.30 p.m service. Again, to my surprise, there was the English version, it meant that he managed to finish it that day. I heard that he finished it at 4 a.m. I read it and his translation was perfect. His English ability is excellent. His language skills are better than me. I thanked him for his effort and perfect translation. In my heart, I was very happy as if I wanted to leap. There was not envy nor angry feeling, I was just very happy for him. That day, our Pastor's wife, thanked us, the church newsletter team. She asked the congregation to pray for us and they prayed for us. She also asked the congregation to appreciate the newsletter and not just leave it on the bench after they read it or after the service. I learnt two things from this. First, when we do our task diligently, God will reward us. Second, I should have helped him, not just leave him alone. That day, I just got a kind of revelation, that actually I could have helped him by splitting the translation, not just leave it all to him. There are several parts in the newsletter, such as the article, from the pastor's heart, daily devotion, prayers points, etc. I could have translate the article and prayer points, or some other parts and he did other parts. Why didn't I think that way that night? When I was regretting it, a voice came to me that it was time for him to rely on God, God would help him, although his friends did not help him. It does not mean that I lift up my hands and justify myself for my ignorance. It reveals that I was still a selfish and short-minded person. Gotta improve myself and my character. Thank you for YOUR revelation and insight!
Comments
no, I am not a professional photographer. Of course, I chose some of my best photos in the trip....what I posted in my blog was the e-mails I sent to my family and friends (some of them are not used to visit my blog...).
And what about yours?
Anna