i wrote this cause i owe my father my life…

 

There are lots of things that annoying me about my father. For example, in the past he was so authoritarian (he still is sometimes), he wants us to do what he says. He always have to be the one who wrap up the conversation, so whatever we say become less important compare to what he said. He’s advising people in prayer, he say things over and over again. Basically he love to talk, but for me he talk too much. Despite of those demeanors,  there are 3 things I want to imitate from Daddy (that’s how we called him):

1. Pray..pray..pray. In any situation, good times or bad times, in the house or in the public place, near or far (on the phone too), he always pray. When I was a teenager, I feel boring (ashamed sometimes) with this ritual, because my father always wants us to pray together and when he pray his voice is so loud. Imagine in a restaurant with many people there, but he always said never ashamed of what we believe. Now as i have my own family, i realize  how true it was, i can’t even do one thing right without go to God and consult from Him. My daddy taught me to rely on God.

2. Education is VERY important. I am glad to have a father who has a deep conviction about education. He’s not only pray and push his kids to finish college, but he himself gave us example to never stop learning. I remember he took law as a major in a university many years ago, even though he never finish it but it’s a great experience for him. After retired from his previous  job, he works as a lecturer in a banking academy in Jakarta. I can finished my master degree not because i am so smart and motivated but because my dad always encourage and support me.

3. Saving!!! maybe because he used to work in a bank so he know what’s the meaning of saving or investing. My siblings and I would never go study abroad if my dad didn’t save his money for that. When other people still in la..la.. land, he already invest his money in the insurance. He never go crazy spending money for pleasure even if he can effort it, but he put it into saving. I remember when we were small we went to eat in a restaurant, 2 kids must share 1 plate of food. He never gave us much money for allowance. It was upsetting at the time, but now i understand the meaning.

My dad came from a simple if not poor family, He’s working so hard to make it as he is today. He truly start from the bottom and make it to the top. It was not easy to working full-time and raise up 6 kids at the same time (of course my mom played an important role here), but I really believed he’s success because of these 3 convictions. I can’t imagine  stand in his shoes and stay strong like him. But everybody has their own path. I pray that I can inherit some of his best trait to help me to go through mine. I love you Dad, Thanks a million!

the story of the shipwood

Hope you all got a great weekend like mine.

I went to a married and parenting workshop. And one thing that stick on my mind of what the speaker said was: don’t protect your love ones from the hardship they are going through. Be there for them and help them to conquer it. Because as Christian we believed God is teaching us something or refine us through tough time. Think about it, if you protect them, meaning you undone what God is trying to do with them,  are you smarter than God?

In my q-time today, I read a writing about how the wood from ships not only survived for hundred of years but also improve in quality because of the harsh weather, differing cargoes, straining and twisting of the sea and chemical reaction by the sea water. The woods that once was part of an old ship now become stronger and beautiful, that attracted the rich people to buy it and put it in their luxury living room.

I think of my parents (especially my mother) are like the shipwood. They went through many hardship in their life, Raising up 6 troublesome kids (especially me), went through married problems, hard times by relatives, challenges at work, but yet they turn out as happy and wise old couple. They are not rich or living in a mansion, but still help us to go through our tough times, they love and care for their grandkids, my dad wrote his autobiography and my mother share with me a song she create from meditating psalm, they always helping people and active in the church program, and most of all they always praying for us. I am so proud of them especially when I see some grumpy old people, who always have problems with their kids, taking sides and complain about the past. I am so grateful for my parents and wanted to be like them when I am old.

Every living person will have some kind of hardship in their life. It meant to mold our character and refine us to become a better person. But the outcome will depend on each and every one of us. If we learn the lesson, we will end up in God’s living room, but if not…..we are broken by the storm of this world!