Tempehs
This testimony, was told by a pastor (from Surabaya) which tells
the testimony of a tempeh seller lady. This story happened in one small and
poor village in central Java. This half aged lady makes living by making and
selling tempeh in her town, and she herself makes the tempeh.
One early morning, as usual, before she goes to the town market
to sell her>tempehs, she finds that morning, her tempehs are half mature, still
grainy,and very little amount of fungus grow, mostly the yellowish soybeans
still exposed. She is very sad. Because if the tempehs are not mature, that
mean they are not saleable, nobody wants to buy them! This is her only daily
income for her!! She will not be able to fulfill her family today's expenses,
and also that very day she must pay her son's school fee. With that sad and
depressing situation, the lady who is obedience Christian, very active
worshipping at her church, recalls God's words saying that God is able to do
miracles. For God nothing is impossible!!
Then she lays her hands on the stacks of tempehs wrapped in
banana leaf...
Father in heaven, I am begging You to turn this soybeans to
tempeh.in the name of Jesus, amen. She presents this short prayer to God with
all of her heart. She was so convinced God will answer her prayer. Then with
confidence, she thrusts the>wrapped tempehs with her fingertips, and with care
she unwraps slowly a packet, while her heart starts to pound hard, expecting to
see>the miracle to happen, turning the soybeans to tempehs. Then what
happened....Full of surprise, she finds that the soybeans are still soybeans!
The lady is not disappointed. she thinks maybe her prayer was not clearly heard
by dear God..then again she lays her hands on the tempehs..Father in heaven.. I
know Father..
For you nothing is impossible, please help me Father, so today I
will be able to sell this tempehs, earn money for my family's food and to pay
my son's >school because you know Father. this is my only income.I ask You in
the name of Jesus oh God, let this soybeans become tempehs...in the name of
Jesus Amen!
With full of faith she opens again the banana leaf wrap bit by
bit. then what's happened ........ Full of wonder..she finds that the soybeans
remain..soybeans!!! Time goes by.the dawn breaks..and of course the market will
be full of people. Without having any disappointment feeling,that>her prayer
has not been answered. She thinks, as a faithful step, she must still >got to
go to market to bring her basketful tempehs. She is sure that God's miracle
will happen while she is on her way to market.
As usual, she prepares anything she might need to sell the tempehs at the
market. Before she leaves home, she lays her hands on her basket, Father in
heaven, I believe that You will answer my prayer.>While I am walking, making my
way to market, You will perform a miracle for me. In Jesus name amen.
After the prayer, she put the basket on her back, and goes to
market. On her way to market she sings some praise and worship songs, then she
arrives at the market.
She spreads her straw mat, puts down her basket, and she is so
confident that her tempehs are mature now. She opens her basket, then slowly
trusting her fingertips onto each packet. Slowly she opens the wrap and looks
into the content...what's happened sisters and brothers..
Really. the tempehs are not mature yet! She swallows, takes a
deep breath, she is starting to feel disappointed to God because He does not
answer her prayer. She feels that God is not fair to her! God does not have a
pity on her!
She makes living by only selling tempeh!
Later, she is just quietly seating on the straw mat, she keeps>all the packets
inside the basket because she knows for sure that nobody will buy >her half
mature tempehs. Nobody!
Morning is changing to noon, the marketplace becomes quitter and quitter, less
and less people pass by, she sees her colleague's tempehs are almost finished,
only few remain. This lady bend her head down, disbelieve, she feels weak and
powerless to>face life that day, and she is just looking around emptily and
feels deeply disappointed. One thing for sure she knows, that day, she will not
earn a single cent to bring home! >
Suddenly.....she was shocked by a lady's voice:" excuse me mam, I want to know,
do you sell immature tempeh??? I have been searching all over this market
looking for immature tempeh but I could not find any.if you have, or someone
else has, I will buy and give good price for those immature tempeh!
The tempeh lady is stunned. She is completely shocked! Before she answers the
prospective buyer she quickly prays in her heart:" Dear God this very moment I
don't need mature tempeh anymore. I don't need them. Let my humble merchandise
stays as what they were. In the name of Jesus. In the name of Jesus!! Amen!
Then, she would not dare to answer the buyer. She thinks, maybe while I was
just sat here, feeling disappointed, God has changed those soybeans to tempehs!
So, she just stares at the buyer and she is too doubtful to answer, Yes, I
have". In her heart she questions herself, how shall I give the answer..?
Suppose I say Yes, but I'm afraid the miracle has already happened and my
tempehs have turned mature by now!
Then in her heart she quickly prays once again, Oh God.let my soybeans stay as
what they were! don't change them to mature tempeh, there is someone, a serous
buyer, wants to buy, God would you please help me this time please.God.
Pleeeeeeease, pleeeeaseee!! Don't turn my soybeans to mature tempehs God
pleeeeeaaaase.Listen to my prayer oh God.In the name of Jesus,in the name of
Jesus.."
She says this prayer several times before she answers the lady buyer. She opens
the cover of the basket, then peels the banana leaf wrap of the packet inside
the basket.and then what she sees..sisters and brothers..in fact,..in fact. it
is true.the soybeans still stay immature tempeh still a bunch of soybeans. she
is shouting in her heart, says;" Praise God. Praise God..thank You Jesus."
To make the story short, then the lady buyer empties her basket and pays all
her immature tempeh double price because she is so happy to find immature
tempeh she is looking for.
Before the lady buyer leaves, she curiously asks the lady buyer,why did she
want to buy the immature tempeh since this is very rare!
The lady buyer says that her children live abroad, and they love the tempeh
from this village. I have to send these tempehs to them. I have to buy the
immature tempeh, so, when these tempehs reach my children, they are mature
already..If I buy the mature tempeh, by the time they reach my children,they
would have became over mature, spoil, smell and taste no good anymore.
What can we learn and digest from this testimony?
FIRST: Very often, we force, insist and dictate our wills, our demands to God
while we are praying. Even sometimes we act like we pull God's hand and twist
behind His back and shout: give what I need NOW!!. Indeed,God knows what our
needs.
SECOND: When God help us, he will help us His own way, not our way. His way is
beyond our thoughts and expectations.
THIRD: Nothing is impossible for God
FOURTH: trust Him, Believe Him, have faith on Him, He will answer our prayer
according to his plans and His time.SO, IF YOU THINK GOD DOES NOT ANSWER YOUR
PRAYER, REMEMBER THIS TEMPEH STORY.
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