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.