So Many Assume, So Little Know

Hi there!

Been like centuries I haven't posted anything here. Been a difficult days without writing. Yes, I'm back now! After praying long time for this blog I've finally made it today, that this blog will be solely presented for the name of our glorious God, Jesus Christ. Most of the times when I pray, I can feel what God wants me to know, some for myself and some for others. Hopefully my comeback will be such a great blessing for His name.

As it is stated in the title, our society has been flooded up with this mental outbreak.

ASSUMPTION, 

where all screw-ups are from.

I have heard once in my life someone said "ASSUMPTION is the lowest type of knowledge".
It is damaging and destructive.

I realize that when we assume and keep it in our mind, it roots deep. It kills the image of others and blocks the love God wants us to show. So please, never assume and say a YES to one of these, because it will also sign your heart up for pain. We are all human, a wretch let's say, with all baggage and weaknesses, I know right. But when it comes to someone, our beloved ones, why don't we just ask them the truth? Why do we let our mind brawl about this uncertain? Don't misunderstood them with our own way of thinking and silently hate & judge them. So before we "assume", try this crazy easy method called "asking".

How easy it is for us to create such an equation, that when someone is grumpy means s/he is bad, that when someone speaks a little louder means s/he's being too frontal and on and on. We're trapped in our own "frivolous thinking". How easy it is to be totally wrong about people, to see one tiny part of them and confuse it for the whole.

Assumption breaks our relationship. Some may cut relationship right away or one-sidedly without any further effort of explanation and refusing to spare time of reconciliation. So sad, it is. So sad knowing that how we forget all of those beautiful things just because one bad thing happens. We throw things away when it is broken, replace it with the new one & don't even bother to fix it anyway.

One thing we may know, we don't even have an inch idea what is going on in someone else's life. Your shoes won't fit in any of them, either will theirs. 

"You can't open up the story of someone's life and just go to page 823 and think you know her."

Gossips - (lost) women like gossips. They make the story goes on and on & it feels so good knowing that others are not as "good" as her. Well, ladies, "flowers don't compete with other flowers. It just blooms" and talk bad about others won't make you look nice either, okay? So stop labeling others. 

I've been set free realizing that God has changed me this far. I committed not to live at the striking words of nonsense which I never even sensed it myself. People make mistakes, we all make mistakes. And it's no matter where we've been & what we've done, it is what we are going to become that matters the most. As I grew up, I realize that the more we assume, it just a little that we know.

I know how it hurts to be misunderstood, to be refused in explanation, and it is to be judged. Most of us don't realize how more difficult it is to live in hatred rather than it is in love. I wonder how easy someone believe & being influenced by the story they don't even experience themselves. They hate the people whom they don't deal with. They start to comment and underestimate as if they have the most everything in this world. Seriously guys, I'm sad. And as I know how it feels, I learn the hard way not to judge and label people, and most importantly to love them.

....

I'm stronger because I had to be,

I'm smarter because of my mistakes,

happier because of the sadness I've known,

and now wiser because I learned.

"3 For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, 4 and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths."

Got this verse (in 2 Timothy 4) when I pray about this topic. Some people rule the words that suit their own passions and refuse learning the truth, then start to live in the myth they desire to believe in. Well, it is a sad fact knowing that some really love listening to lies when actually they know about the truth.

Learn not to be the one. Always learn to seek and follow the truth, cause that's what God wants us to do.

"5 having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power. Avoid such people. 6 For among them are those who creep into households and capture weak women, burdened with sins and led astray by various passions, 7 always learning and never able to arrive at a knowledge of the truth."

Are we like the weak woman mentioned up there? Who's having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power, burdened with sins & always want to be taught but never able to arrive at a knowledge of the truth? Let us all make it the pondering of our heart. Be truthful and fruitful. Be that kind of woman. Pray to God for such power to be the one.

Never hate, just LOVE.

Attitude Towards Hardship

Dua kisah dalam alkitab yang menginspirasi kita akan sikap hidup yang benar dalam menghadapi masa-masa sulit.

1) Kisah Tabita (atau Dorkas).
Kisah Para Rasul 9 : 36 - 40

"Di Yope ada seorang murid perempuan bernama Tabita--dalam bahasa Yunani Dorkas. Perempuan itu banyak sekali berbuat baik dan memberi sedekah. Tetapi pada waktu itu ia sakit lalu meninggal. Dan setelah dimandikan, mayatnya dibaringkan di ruang atas. Lida dekat dengan Yope. Ketika murid-murid mendengar, bahwa Petrus ada di Lida, mereka menyuruh dua orang kepadanya dengan permintaan: "Segeralah datang ke tempat kami." Maka berkemaslah Petrus dan berangkat bersama-sama dengan mereka. Setelah sampai di sana, ia dibawa ke ruang atas dan semua janda datang berdiri dekatnya dan sambil menangis mereka menunjukkan kepadanya semua baju dan pakaian, yang dibuat Dorkas waktu ia masih hidup. Tetapi Petrus menyuruh mereka semua keluar, lalu ia berlutut dan berdoa. Kemudian ia berpaling ke mayat itu dan berkata: "Tabita, bangkitlah! " Lalu Tabita membuka matanya dan ketika melihat Petrus, ia bangun lalu duduk."

Sekilas kalo kita baca, kelihatannya kisah ini bercerita tentang mujizat Tuhan melalui Petrus. Tapi ternyata ada sikap hidup yang Tuhan mau bagikan buat kita. Seringkali di dalam menghadapi setiap permasalahan, kita panik, kita mengamini fakta yang ada di depan kita. Sama seperti sikap janda-janda yang menangisi Tabita yang sangat mereka kasihi. Tapi kita boleh belajar dari sikap Petrus. Pertama-tama dia mengusir janda-janda itu keluar, yang berarti sebaliknya. Dia yakin dan percaya bahwa masih ada pertolongan Tuhan. Petrus berdoa, kemudian berpaling dan melakukan mujizat. Kebanyakan dari kita (termasuk saya) lebih sering menghadapi masalahnya dulu, baru cari Tuhan. Dari firman ini saya belajar bahwa dalam menghadapi masalah, sikap yang benar adalah mencari Tuhan lebih dulu. Percaya bahwa kita perlu kekuatan Tuhan sebelum melakukan bagian kita. 

2) Kisah Hizkia.

2 Raja-raja 20 : 1 - 6

"Pada hari-hari itu Hizkia jatuh sakit dan hampir mati. Lalu datanglah nabi Yesaya bin Amos, dan berkata kepadanya: "Beginilah firman Tuhan: Sampaikanlah pesan terakhir kepada keluargamu, sebab engkau akan mati, tidak akan sembuh lagi. Lalu Hizkia memalingkan mukanya ke arah dinding dan ia berdoa kepada Tuhan: Ah Tuhan, ingatlah kiranya, bahwa aku telah hidup di hadapanMu dengan setia dan dengan tulus hati dan bahwa aku telah melakukan apa yang baik di mataMu." Kemudian menangislah Hizkia dengan sangat. Tetapi Yesaya belum lagi keluar dari pelataran tengah, tiba-tiba datanglah firman Tuhan kepadanya: "Baliklah dan katakanlah kepada Hizkia, raja umatKu: beginilah firman Tuhan, Allah Daud, bapa leluhurmu: Telah Kudengar doamu dan telah Kulihat air matamu; sesungguhnya Aku akan menyembuhkan engkau; pada hari ketiga engkau akan pergi ke rumah Tuhan. Aku akan memperpanjang hidupmu lima belas tahun lagi dan Aku akan melepaskan engkau dan kota ini dari tangan raja Asyur; Aku akan memagari kota ini oleh karena Aku dan oleh karena Daud, hambaKu." Raja Hizkia, salah satu Raja yang pada jaman itu taat pada Allah, divonis oleh Nabi besar (Nabi Yesaya) bahwa sudah tidak ada harapan hidup lagi. Coba bayangkan kalau kita di posisi Hizkia. Pasti kita down, kecewa,dan menerima nasib sebagai takdir Tuhan. Tapi hebatnya, Hizkia tetap mengasihi dan berharap pada Tuhan. Dia tidak menyalahkan tabib-tabib kerajaan atau membesar-besarkan kekecewaannya. Justru sebaliknya, Hizkia memalingkan wajahnya ke arah dinding dan berdoa memohon kemurahan Tuhan. Dan yes, Tuhan perpanjang umurnya selama 15 tahun.  Dalam masa-masa sulit, sudahkah kita memperbanyak doa-doa kita? Atau apakah justru kekecewaan, kekuatiran, kemarahan, kesedihan yang dibesar-besarkan?

Leveled-Up

Popped up with overjoyed heart, what is it about?

As a Catholic, we should fulfill few sacraments to meet the "self-overfullness" in spiritual life. So, this is the 4th sacrament I have received, since the first time of Baptism, Eucharist, and Reconciliation. These are just a series of spiritual journey which, for me, has they're own story. 

On July 13th, I received my confirmation for Chrism Sacrament. After registering four months before the due, I should undergo classes to be "skillfully and mentally" prepared. 

Chrism Sacrament is taken after receiving Baptism and before the Holy Matrimony Sacrament. Chrism sacrament in my own word, is a sign and instrument to be sealed with the Holy Spirit. People who have received Chrism Sacrament reach their "fullness" in becoming the church component. The procession was administered by the Bishop, Mgr. Vincentius Sutikso Wisaksono. At the time Mgr. Vincentius entered the church, it was indescribable! The situation became overwhelming, to be sure. In Chrism, the Bishop anointed sacred oil, which called "Chrism" itself, to our foreheads, then patted cheek and our shoulders with blessing words. 

Along the preparation, I can feel a lot of spiritual experience, either it was happening within myself, family, or friends. Without being demanding, God's handwork beautifully and tangibly occurred in my life. Back then in the past time, there was a little shoutout in my longing heart to serve my church and involve in social services. I wasn't so sure I was able to step in, but in His unpredictable way, He made it. I started to join choir and cell group. God has put me in the middle of the lovelies, we pray hand in hand, strengthen each other, learn the bible, and speak the word of testimony. Each day God has retrained me into something I wasn't. I have a brand new exciting life with Christ and I would not trade it with anything world may offer. 

It's true that in an empty-self, God will come in. 

When I surrendered my family, He healed us. 

When I surrendered my love life, He revealed us. 

When I surrendered my career, He enabled.

When I surrendered my heart, He lived within.

In the silence, He unveils my eyes and answers my prayer. I just can't thank enough for the precious chance to be around Him. 

At the day of confirmation, my family witnessed the whole ceremony (and I believe they've been praying a lot for this) and surprisingly my boyfriend also attended to congratulate. Then we took some pictures!

Chrism Sacrament

July 13th, 2014 at Aloysius Gonzaga Church.

 (almost forget to tell you, my brother was also join the confirmation!)

"Another chapter, another grace, yet the same unending Love"

Thank You, Jesus, for always wanting to see me thrive. Yes, I'm leveled-up, I'm blessed, and joyful.