"There are two kinds of people in the world. Givers and Takers. The takers may eat better but the givers sleep better."
Hola ! I wanna share a little bit bout my Christmas holidays last month. Actually it's not really a holiday, i mean it's just a normal day without university life. And rather than going to the uni, i had to go to the embassy and working there for the whole Christmas break. Should it still be considered as a holiday ?? Hmm ..
I wish i could have a sweet little escape for me after the whole killing presentation day before the break. Actually I've searched for some flight tickets to travel to Warsaw or Vienna, but in the end i just couldn't make it happened.
Here is some reason :
- Responsibility to work. You just couldn't run away from your job, could you ?
- I tried to spend more time with my cell group since i always feel guilty for them that i couldn't spend much time with them in my normal day.
- Responsibility to the ministry, i had to make the financial report for the whole year and on our sunday service at that week i also had to serve at the multimedia team and after that we still had a yearly meeting for the board members of the church.
- My friends from Spain dropped by in Berlin, so i tried to be a good host for them.
One thing that i realized in the end of the break is a word "Santa Claus". I don't know why but i just felt like that last Christmas i was just like a Santa. I tried to give more love, more happiness, more time by sacrificing my 'me' time.
You know, i spent time together with my cell group on Christmas eve and the next day we visited our sister from the cell group, who was sick and stayed in the hospital, right on Christmas day, first Christmas day ever for me by visiting a hospital. We spent time later by visiting an old granny, who lives alone and needs for a care and loves from others. My boss also asked me once to visit a poor lady and gave her a package of foods, drinks, and household needs and tried to give a motivation and support for her. What a time to care and share !
And then i decided to be a 'secret' Santa for all the cell group members, at least for those who's still in Berlin during the break. I want to share love by giving gifts but in the same time i want to give a motivation and also address my point of view bout their life added by some suggestions how to make their life better. I tried to be "tegas/straight" tapi/but "lembut/soft". Not using a radical way or dictator way to address my feelings for them.
At first i thought it would be so easy but believe me it's not easy at all. First you know i need to spent lot of time to write all those "love letters" for them, finding right words to express my admiration, my disappointment, my anger, my loves, my concerns, my motivational message for them in such a beautiful and soft way added with some bible verses that suit them the most.
It's also very hard to find all those presents. Spending time to shop all the presents, wrapping them one by one. also i'm not the family member of Ciputra or Bakrie. I had to find something that still affordable with my limits. You know my bills for Mc'Donalds and cafes for the past months was quite crazy, more or less than 100 euros just for Mc'D ! Whenever i have to order something in Mc'D nowadays, i'm consider to buy 'more' just to share with the others. In the end it was paid with their lovely and smiling faces. Just try it by yourself and you will understand exactly how do i feel.
It was not ended there, the most difficult part : TO PUT ALL THOSE PRESENTS SECRETLY. Oh God it was really really hard. Trying to be like a detective who has to find right moment, right time, and in the right place. It took longer than I've imagined for. I need to cooperate with some friends, some relatives and thanks God they helped me in such an amazing way. Made some "tricks" using mailing post delivery. Gasping around to put the presents in their bags. Delivering to their house and put it in front of the door just like a Santa. And finally it was done !!!! Hallelujah !
If you're asking me, why should i do all that things ?? It's really easy for me to answer it : I just want to share some love this Christmas, that's it. Nothing else. I taught them a lot to be a cheerful giver and so do i. I couldn't teach them just by giving theory, you need a real proof. We, as human being, normally learn by seeing a real example. I don't give in order to get but i give to inspire others to give. Giving is also a way to be thankful of what you have right now, in my opinion. Maybe my gifts is not a precious things or an expensive things but i did it with my best.
Few days later the talks about that secret presents started in our groups, they just asked for the initial names in the letters or cards that they have received and whether anyone else also got the same one. One by one received the items. So i just kept quiet, some of them then text-ed me and said that i should be the one who do that, again i just kept silence. I'm happy because some of the showing off their happiness to receive all those gifts. Hey man, to see those happiness is priceless for sure ! At least for me ... But my flatmate revealed all the secrets in the end, i just forgot to tell her bout my plans so she told my cell groups member honestly that i'm the one who did it. Too bad. Grrr ..
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I didn't expect to get anything from them and it's true i almost got nothing from them also, only one member of the cell group who gave me back a present which is really touched my heart with such a very beautiful bible verse. BUT wait for a secs, i keep receiving Christmas presents one by one. Mostly from our church members. We also got surprised too from my 'Spain' friends who gave us chocolate with some lovely message thanking for the love and hospitality during their visits here.
I got chocolates from my cell group member, from some church friends, from my flatmates, and from my relatives. I got lot of chocolates. I'm wondering why ?????! How could it happened since last year as long as i remembered i just got one gift on Christmas day.
God put something in my heart and taught me :
Galatians 6:7b for whatever seed a man puts in, that will he get back as grain.
Gw menabur banyak cokelat di natal kali ini, yah jangan heran kalau menuai lebih banyak lagi cokelat. The chocolates that i received worth even more than my givings ! I'm just be thankful for all the lovely wishes and gifts that i've received. I never regret of "giving", God knows whatever you do and He never fail His promises.
I never expect to get back some chocolates but they're just coming to you automatically. it's the basic rule of the game ! Once you're in, He will amaze you with all His promises.
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| Some Chocolates that I got last Christmas ! (still not all) |
Terlebih lagi pas gw liat salah satu orang ada bawa bungkusan paper bag dari chocolate house cukup keren di Berlin, gw kira itu untuk bos nya atau jangan - jangan pasti dia baru dikasih itu cokelat sama orang lain deh. Eh gak tahunya tiba - tiba dikasih ke gw, ya ampun saya terharu biru dan surprised. Kayaknya itu berkali kali ganda mahalnya dibanding coklat - coklat yang gw beli deh, suer. Padahal sebenernya gw gak kasih hadiah natal apapun ke orang itu loh. Akhirnya gw makan satu2 dengan sayang2 coklatnya itu tak lupa membagi para tetangga di rumah dan setiap ngeliat kotak itu coklat cuma inget betapa Tuhan gak pernah ingkar akan janjiNya dan bikin gw makin sadar bahwa semua janji2 di firmanNya akan dipenuhi asal kita nya yang mau taat dan setia melakukan.
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| Danke Schoen ! |
Loh loh loh kenapa jadi bahasa indo ??? Ya sudahlah lah mungkin otak ini udah lelah mikirin inggris yg semakin kacau balau. Ini udah subuh juga jadi harap maklum yah.
Gw cuma mau bilang menjadi santa claus ternyata berhasil membuat gw lebih bersyukur akan apa yang gw miliki. Ditengah keterbatasan gw, masih bisa memberi itu adalah sesuatu anugerah yang luar biasa. Berilah maka padamu akan diberi, suatu takaran yang dipadatkan bener2 ditambahkan kepadamu. Tabur dan tuai itu prinsip dasar yang bisa kita praktekin dalam hal apapun, baik sikap kita, pekerjaan kita, kasih kita, dsb nya. Gw gak menyesal untuk jadi seperti santa karena Tuhan udah menjadi "Santa Claus" buat gw sebelumnya.
Semoga dari kado kado misterius yang anak-anak komsel gw dapet bisa menginspirasi mereka semua untuk bisa memberi lebih lagi. Bisa belajar untuk jadi agent of love and cheerful giver. Itu tujuan utama gw dan kenapa harus rahasia2an ??? karena gw mau mereka juga belajar sometimes gak penting untuk reveal and show off kepada orang yang dikasih kalau kitalah yang memberi. Tujuan kita kan bukan bikin orang itu berterima kasih sama pribadinya kita atau biar dia jadi baik sama kita. no bukan itu !
Sebab ada tertulis :
Matthew 6:3 But when you give money, let not your left hand see what your right hand does.
Nah tuh kan dibilang kalau tangan kanan memberi, tangan kiri gak perlu tau. Anw udahlah sekian aja post gw tentang Santa2an ini. Gw rasa udah kepanjangan. Intinya jangan pernah menyesal karena kita memberi dan percaya deh quotes ini dibawah ini bagus banget dan it really happens in mylife, akalu gak percaya silahkan buktiin sendiri :
Salam hangat, peluk dan doa,
BG/HI - Bendahara Gereja / Humas & Informasi
