WHAT IS in your hand - 02 Preparation is an act of faith.jpg

When you are living in a warm country and do you want to have a vacation in winter land, definitely you must prepare your winter clothes. Bring thick jackets, thermo garments, scarf, etc. If you didn’t prepare and didn’t bring it, you’ll be in trouble and cost a lot of money to buy new clothes to survive. The other way around. If you lived in winter land and want to go to the tropical area, you need to bring thin clothes.

Some preparation needs to be started months or years before the big day. If you want to hike a mountain into the summit, you need to prepare your physics minimal from six months before. Do a lot of exercises, walking, running, and stairs. That’s what I did before I went hiking Mount Semeru (the highest mountain in Java Island). I went hiking three months before my wedding day. So all the exercise is not only for the hiking preparation but also for my wedding. ‘One step for two mountains.’

I love the movie, and I like to see behind the scene. Can you tell me what makes a lot of Hollywood movies so good? I’m not talking about the budget or famous artist. The money and how well-known the actor is not everything. What differentiates a good movie, and the bad one is in the preparation of how they prepared everything. Are they pay attention to detail or not. Take a look at how the way they make the script, costume, how the way they do the research, and rehearse. Gal Gadot trained for six months before they shoot Wonder Woman. Becoming a superhero takes time and a whole lot of hard work.

They not in a rush just to make a film within a month. Sorry to say, I’ve seen some movies in my country made only less than three months. Start from scriptwriting, casting, shooting, editing, and they publish in cinema. Some tv series were written on the same day with the shooting day and on-air the next day. Can you expect something excellent from it? No way! But the one who takes time to prepare, the result is different.

Preparation play a significant role. All great things need great preparation.

## Act of Faith

When I’m preparing this series, I read the story of Moses, especially in Exodus, so many times and using several Bible translations. The technic that I learn from Deeper Bible Class. They teach us how to read and investigate the Bible by yourself. I almost missed out on this fantastic story of preparation from Moses’s mom. Until when I want to prepare this chapter. Her life story is like shouting at me. Do you ever feel like that? That’s the beauty of the Bible. You can hear the same story, but you can learn something new from a different angle.

Moses’s mom was a woman of faith. Her baby’s life is in danger. Pharaoh gives an order to killed all Hebrews baby boy. Even though she’s in a desperate moment of life, she has faith. She’s not only praying for a miracle, but she did something—preparation of miracle in a desperate moment. With so little time and fewer resources, Jachebed does the best thing she could do to save her baby. She hid the baby for three months, but she couldn’t hide him anymore. Who can hide the baby's cry? When he cries at the top of his lungs. If she lives in this century, maybe she can build a music studio - a soundproof studio for her baby so that nobody can hear the cry. If somebody heard about this baby, they might say to the Egyptians and drowned the baby in the Nile. In dangerous times she needs to do something with everything she had and leaving the ultimate results to the sovereign God.

A man from the family of Levi married a Levite woman. The woman became pregnant and had a son. She saw there was something special about him and hid him. She hid him for three months. When she couldn’t hide him any longer, she got a little basket-boat made of papyrus, waterproofed it with tar and pitch, and placed the child in it. Then she set it afloat in the reeds at the edge of the Nile.

She knew that Pharaoh's daughter reigned over a section of the Nile. She notices a particular habit of the Princess. When and where, the princess takes her time to take a bath. She had this idea in her mind to set the baby afloat into the princess hand at the edge of the Nile. She can’t build a soundproof room, but she can make a little basket boat made of papyrus and waterproofed! Not a soundproof, but a waterproof.

I never went to the Nile river, but here in Netherland, we have so many canals. I can imagine when you want to float something from point A to point B, you need to do several experiments to know the timing, how fast the basket boat will float. She needs to do it with the right timing. It cannot be too fast or too late or make an emergency plan if the boat was stuck with something.

She did the best preparation she can, not just give up, stand still, and do nothing. She thinks about several scenarios. She needs a partner in crime. She needs someone to help her accomplish the mission. She chooses and rehearses the whole plan with her daughter Miriam. Do you know how old Miriam at that time? When I start to investigate this story, I was wondering how old Miriam was. Some literature said that Miriam was five years older than Moses. She just five years old! Jochebed knew she couldn’t use her husband for this mission. It has to be with Miriam. She needs someone who looks innocent. Arron was three years old. He still out of the league.

Do you have a kid or niece or nephew or your friend’s child who was five years old? Do you ever play drama with them? Yes, they are funny and might fave so much energy to play, but five years old is also quickly tired and moody.
Can you imagine how Jochebed try to direct Miriam where she would stand, how she would act, and what she would say? Remember, she is still five! Miriam, you need to look natural and spontaneous. You need to be near the Princess, not to close but not too far. You watched to see what would happen to your baby brother. You can do it, darling. If you meet up with the Princess, say this line. Don’t say anything else—just that simple line. I’ll be there for you. I’ll be standing here.

I played several times in drama musical and performing acts. We need to rehearse over and over several times until becoming muscle memory. Rehearse the blocking - where do you need to stand and move; Memorizing your line and rehearsed your tone; Creating the right body gesture and attitude based on the script. Rehearse and rehearse. I can feel the nervousness and the butterflies feeling in my stomach. This part is not just a stage play; this is a matter of death or life.

> The baby’s older sister found herself a vantage point a little way off and watched to see what would happen to him. Pharaoh’s daughter came down to the Nile to bathe; her maidens strolled on the bank. She saw the basket-boat floating in the reeds and sent her maid to get it. She opened it and saw the child—a baby crying! Her heart went out to him. She said, “This must be one of the Hebrew babies.” Then his sister was before her: “Do you want me to go and get a nursing mother from the Hebrews so she can nurse the baby for you?” Pharaoh’s daughter said, “Yes. Go.” The girl went and called the child’s mother.

Can you imagine hows Jochebed’s feeling? She is standing in the distance behind the reeds, holding her breath. Her heartbeat beat a little bit faster. If this is in the movie scene, you can hear her heartbeat, and the movie will be in slow motion. All her attention is in her floating baby. She was whispering a pray in her heart.

Jochebed hoped that the princess has compassion when she saw the helpless baby. I hope that the princess believes that the river god sent this baby to her. For Egyptians, Nile was considered as one of their gods. She doesn’t want the other option. Because the princess might drown the baby just like her father's order. To throw every newborn Hebrew boy into the Nile River. How could she know for sure if this plan would work? She just surrenders to the God almighty. Remember, she is a Levites.

Princess saw the basket and opened it. She saw the child—a baby crying! Her heart went out to him. Charles Swindoll, in his book about Moses, said that the princess took the baby to several her maid to see who could nurse the child. But she found no one can do that. At that point, little Miriam shows up and says her little speech. *“Do you want me to go and get a nursing mother from the Hebrews so she can nurse the baby for you?”*

The Princess said, ‘Yes.’ Little Miriam ran and called her mother. Jachebed intentionally chooses the line for Miriam ‘a nursing mother from the Hebrew’ not saying ‘a mother from the baby.’ She knows she needs to hide their true identity. In front of the Princess, she put her poker face. No sign of over happiness. She needs to hide it. She cannot tell the truth to the Princess that the baby is her child. All the preparation, the act of faith, was paid off. God give her favor and miracle. The Princess paid her to nurse the baby. Princess adopted him as her son and named him Moses (Pulled-Out).

## On Purpose

JPCC Worship teaches me a lot about preparation. Show me how to be excellent. How important it is, and how much detail you can do. To think beyond the ordinary. I was a Worship Leader in JPCC before I moved to the Netherlands. They teach us to choose and prepare the song-list way before your roster. To think carefully about why you choose that song, what is the message behind it, and what is the red line with the monthly theme, how the songs will be flowing from one to another, how you can maximize your limited time in rehearsal, and on Sunday service. Your preparation is not only affected you but the whole worship team, another department who is serving that week (multimedia, sound system, service assistant, etc.), and the congregations.

Imagine you sit in the church. There are several vocalists on stage, singing a new song. We sing a lot of new songs. Can you tell which one is not well prepared? You can sense there’s something wrong with their body language. Especially when the camera zooming at that person. Can you tell which one who’s not remembering the lyrics? The expression is going to be different, her or his face is like thinking of something and most likely didn’t sing well. Sometimes even though I’m prepared and memorized the lyrics, I can be lost! At a split of a second, I’m blank. I forget the lyrics or mixed with others' songs. It happens. When it happened, my body language will not lie or able to hide it. You can see it. Some people will be distracted or annoyed because of that. That’s why nowadays, we are using a confidence monitor, just to back up when the vocalist singing a song, but doesn’t mean you can not be prepared or not memorizing the lyrics. Your preparation is matters.

Alvi Radjagukguk is one of the fantastic Worship Leader and also the small group pastor. He teaches us that preparation is an act of faith. Several times I had a chance to Co-leading with him. He is a man of detail. He guides me to think carefully every sentence that you are going to say in the song's transition. The less is better. To find the sharpest line with the right intonation. To rehearse what I am going to say. So much detail! I am so grateful for all his input for me.

All those preparation was on purpose. They are not only saying that the church value is “excellent,” but we are living on that value and make it as a culture. We are serving an excellent God who died for us on the cross. That’s why we need on purpose to give our best and not to take any chance to do ministry for granted. No matter what kind of ministry that you do. On or off stage. Everything needs preparation. Do what you can do. Preparation is an act of faith.

Some of you may be amazed and never knew how the way church preparing the Sunday service. The bigger the church, the more complex the preparation will be. If you want to know more and get shaped, then you need to be planted in a local church and join the ministry. Give your life to serving God. Be planted, and you will see the result. FYI, we are all volunteers - not paid by the church. The ministry has shaped the way I’m thinking, not only in how the way I lead worship but also affected in my personal life, my work, my community, and so much more.

Faith and preparation are hands in hand. It has to be together. You cannot just have a dream and only pray without doing anything. If you only wait for God to do it for you, it's called foolish. Even though you have someone prophecy about your future or laying hands or anointing upon your head, but if you didn’t do the action, then you just wasting time, and it may never happen. We need to do our part.

Sidney Mohede told me a story that during his lifetime ministry and concert to so many places, some people asked him to lay hands or pray for that person can be just like him - a talented singer-songwriter and an anointed worship leader. If only by laying hands and pray, we can be instantly like Sidney Mohede, that would be great, but it doesn’t happen like that. Only praying is not the answer. To be a songwriter, you need to be disciplined. Learn and hear so many songs; Read so many books to enrich your vocabulary, and of course, you need to sit and write a song. Not only waiting for the revelation drop from heaven. Everything needs a hard worker and an action. Everything needs a process.

If you know God’s calling in your life, then you need to prepare yourself. Don’t stand still and do nothing. Do it now before later becomes never. Just do the best part that you can do and give the rest to God. The goal is not perfection, but authenticity.

## Preparing Your Future

Maybe your life is not in danger like Moses’s mom, but it doesn’t mean you can live without preparation. Don’t wait until we are in trouble. Be conscious and intentionally prepared your future with everything that you have. Maybe you still not clear what do you want to be in the future, but it doesn’t mean that you can’t make any preparation. There always a thing that we can do on purpose.

Some people asked me (when I’m still in Indonesia) what do you want to do in the Netherland? What kind of job do you want? I honestly don’t know what to do. I have to be there first, then we’ll see. I know I have several skills that I can use, I speak English fluently, but I want to prepare more. So on purpose, several weeks before I’m leaving for good, both of us (me and my husband) take a coffee barista class with my dear friend Alfred. He owned a specialty coffee shop - Watt Coffee, in Jakarta. Alfred and his wife Sarah teach and preparing us if someday we want to have our coffee shop in the Netherland (Amen! One day!).

That skill makes me get my first job in the Netherlands. I was working as a Barista in Accenture. But before that, I was rejected by so many coffee shops, including Starbucks, just because I’m not fluent in Dutch. My level at that time is only A1 - beginner. A lot of people said that it would be easy to find a job in Amsterdam because it has so many international corporations and multicultural. As long you can speak English fluently is okay, but I found it’s not enough. I still found some of the people who don’t speak English, and it’s quite hard to find a good job if you didn’t speak Dutch.

I intentionally study the Dutch language in Erasmus Jakarta, a year before I knew I was going to live in Holland. Way before any conversation about where we are going to live. I know that we had a serious relationship. Turned up that preparation help me to get my Visa - MVV. The requirement to have that visa is I have to pass the first Inburgering / language basic test of Dutch.

But that’s are not enough. I found that I couldn’t understand or speak Dutch well. The first day I arrive in Holland after we are married; That night, Michael takes us directly to the Basic 1 class in Doorbrekers in Barneveld (FYI, it’s a Dutch church). That class is a connect group to learn the basics of the Bible. I only understand the part of the introduction of each one of them. Who they are, how many kids, etc. But, by the time in the teaching goes and dialog time, huff... I don’t understand at all! What do I do? I am just nodding as I understand the conversation. I only read from their body language. Just like the phrase “Fake it till you make it.” I fake it, and it frustrated me. I cannot understand at all. Michael isn't translating for me, but he will summarize after the class finished. The translation is not his forte. Usually, I am an active student in the class, suddenly become the most silent. Is not me at all. I don’t like it. I want to be able to understand and communicate with others.

I said to Michael; I think I need to learn Dutch in intensive class. I want to be able to speak Dutch because now I live here. I don’t want to be like people who live so many years here but barely speak good Netherland. We did some research, and we found about Vrije Universiteit. They have an intensive program, VU - NT2, to learn Dutch until State Exam II - Level B2. Five levels for more than a year.

A lot of people asked me, “Do you need to learn until that level?” And by the time they asked the price, they amazed “That is so expensive! Why is it so expensive just to study a language?” Yeah, because this is a university! They must have some program that good because the review is so good. I need several times to convince Michael that I can take that class. How important for me to learn Dutch and focus the first year just to learn. It’s going to effecting all our life. I can’t be working full time, and we need the fund to pay the tuition. But we will reap the result within a year. I would be able to speak Dutch, and it will we easier for us to do anything we want. Finally, he agreed and found a way. Thank God that the government. They have a program for the student who wants to learn the Dutch language. The program is DUO Loan.

This class is worth it! Now step by step, I can speak, write, and understand the Dutch language way much better and faster. I have never seen a language program like this. So intense, so fast and effective. But it takes hard work to do it. Every day you have to learn in class 3-4 hours and do the homework for another 3-4 hours. When I’m writing this, I just passed my first level. I pray that God gives the wisdom to learn the Dutch language, but still, I need to do my part, which is I need to study.

This is how I’m preparing my future life in Netherland. Focusing on language and start with everything that I have in my hand. We can have a similar story, moved to another country, but your preparation and season might be different. Everyone has their way to prepare their future. It doesn’t have to be the same. Because everyone has different situations and conditions. What we have in our hands is also different. So embrace your seasons and what you have.

Let’s learn together to prepare our future as much we can do and think. What is your season or project of life? You're the one who knows the answer. What kind of preparation you need to do. There must be something that you can do. Do the things that we can do right now with everything that we have in our hands. Do it one by one—step by step. You can’t do everything at the same time. It will drive you crazy and burned out. Choose your preparation.

Preparation is the act of faith. Your preparation may not be perfect; it’s okay. We are not perfect. But the more detail you can do, the better preparation, it will make a better result. Once again, the goal is not perfection, but authenticity. Leave the ultimate results to the sovereign God.

So what kind of preparation do you want to do? What’s in your hand?