New Year 2023: Experiencing new things by giving old fashioned things

It was just like yesterday that we celebrated the old and new year and now we are about to leave the first week. Time flies so fast. As usual, I entered the new year with the hope for changing to live a better life: better in spirit, in mind and in stamina.

I spent the first day of the year visiting friends and families’ houses; eating local food and of course chatting with everybody. There were four houses that my husband and I visited starting from lunch time into dinner time meaning there were two times extra eating. The second day was more memorable since I did not only visit to eat favorite food at my oldest brother’s house and meeting old and new friends at lunch time, but continued to have a small reunion at a friend’s surprised birthday party in which we chatted, ate and sang in old fashioned style facing the first sundown in the new year.

The song “Tolong kemudikan jalanku, Tuhan” that Jefferson, Glen and I sang as shown below, was the theme song of a school male group decades ago. I literally loved the way the group performed it; accompanied by guitar and the style of singing: unisono at first and continue with harmonic style. Later I was impressed by its words and quite surprised that the writer was someone I met many times, Johns Teintang; could be said that I know the song better than him; which was the reason why I agreed to join the group personals to surprisingly singing together in celebrating the school founder’s son’s surprised birthday party. The funny things was, the other two singers have not sung it for decades combined with me who unexpectedly invited to join; resulting in guessing the words by feeling and there were glitches at verses one and two. However, the song received deep appreciation especially from Indonesians who understand the lyrics, from the beginning into the end it has touched people's hearts. 

I closed the first week of 2023 by attending two events, attending a weekly church worship, a post wedding church-replying ceremony of a good friend's daughter's wedding and the birthday party of my youngest brother. Most of the week I spent creating new experiencing by giving an old fashioned practical: attending events, congratulating people and singing old songs.   

What I mean in this talk is, we still offer something new even in an old fashioned style; the same time we gave something and others receiving and thanked us for the gift. Even our presence is a gift that means a lot for other. The moment we did redo the old music, the same time we gave ourself and other new experience; not only recalling the past memories but creating new memories either.

Tolong kemudikan jalanku, Tuhan (Written by Jhons Teintang)

Tolong kemudikan jalanku, Tuhan; sesatlah kami berjalan sendiri

Ingin bersamamu, bersamamu, Tuhan;

Iring diri kami yang lemah, Tuhan; kuatkanlah dengan air hidupMu

Ingin menerima uluran tanganMu, Tuhan

Tariklah, Tuhan; tunjukkan, Tuhan

Jiwaku yang hilang, jalanku yang sesat; jauh dari kehendakMu

Kuingin berbalik menuju jalanMu, terimalah, Tuhan. 

Metode Termudah Membaca Notasi Angka: Sebuah Pendekatan Baru

Notasi jika tidak dibunyikan hampir sama dengan tulisan tanpa dibacakan; tidak bermakna apa-apa. Lalu bagaimana untuk membunyikan notasi sehingga kita bisa menikmati keindahan musik sebagaimana yang tertulis?

Khusus notasi angka, banyak orang mampu membaca tapi terbentur pada tangga nada C saja; bingung untuk berpindah-pindah kunci atau tinggi nada; padahal berbagai nada dasar diperlukan untuk mendapat tinggi nada lagu yang pas ketika dinyanyikan ataupun dimainkan.Hal itu karena metode yang digunakan adalah “Do Berpindah”, artinya “Do” bisa kemana-mana tergantung tinggi nada sehingga untuk memainkannya pada piano dibutuhkan pemahaman tersendiri, tidak sekedar membaca saja. Anda harus mengetahui urutan tangga nada yang berbeda, sementara notasi yang tertulis tidak berubah.

 

Dengan Metode “Do Tetap”, kita mudah mengetahui di mana letak nada “Do” karena posisinya tidak pernah berpindah; demikian juga urutan nada selanjutnya. Dengan begitu, kita bisa memainkan lagu secara lengkap dan menikmati melodi dan harmoni dengan sepenuhnya. 

Lebih lanjut mengenai metode ini dapat diperoleh di buku saya "Metode Termudah Bermain Pianika Orkestra" untuk keperluan ibadah dan sekolah. Kata 'orkestra' mengindikasikan komposisi lengkap yang bisa juga memainkan karya klasik dengan kunci nada yang asli. 

Menyusuri jejak leluhur, untuk apa?

Akhir minggu kemarin, dalam rangkaian hari libur nasional, saya berkesempatan mengunjungi pulau Tagulandang bersama mami dan kakak saya serta sejumlah keluarga dari sisi mami. Sebelumnya, sudah dua kali saya mengunjungi pulau tersebut, pertama bersama tim dari sekolah menengah atas dan kedua bersama rombongan pemuda. Hal yang menggembirakan bagi saya, perjalanan kali ini adalah pertama kali saya tidak mabuk laut dan muntah muai dari perjalanan pergi dan pulang. Perjalanan pergi berlangsung selama empat jam dengan kapal malam di hari Jumat dan perjalanan pulang berlangsung selama tiga jam dengan kapal cepat di hari Senin siang.

Perjalanan Pulang Kampung ini merupakan perjalanan keluarga karena didukung oleh kelompok keluarga yang bernama Rukun Lohonauman, marga mama saya, untuk pulang kampung mencari jejak para leluhur di tanah asal, Tagulandang. Kegiatan ini memuat agenda penting yakni menyelesaikan buku keluarga Lohonauman berisi filosofi dan silsilah keluarga yang sementara dalam proses penyempurnaan data. Penyusunan buku dilakukan oleh anggota rukun yang menaruh minat yang besar pada penulisan, silsilah dan histori serta filosofi keluarga. 

Dalam perjalanan yang diikuti oleh 24 orang dewasa 3 orang anak ini, kami memiliki kesempatan untuk mendiskusikan manfaat dari kegiatan "Pulang Kampung" kali ini, yang terakhir kali dilakukan sekitar dua dekade sebelumnya oleh kelompok yang sama, di mana saat ini sejumlah perintis dan menjadi penghubung antar keluarga masih hidup. Apa manfaatnya, menjadi pertanyaan yang hakiki. 

Kita perlu melihat dan mencari tahu jejak para orang tua dan pendahulu kita untuk belajar kepada mereka, pelajaran hidup yang ditinggalkan karena kebiasaan ataupun kultur mereka sangat dekat dengan para keturunannya. Nilai-nilai hidup yang diajarkan berlaku turun temurun dan sangat baik untuk mengetahui sejauh mana nilai-nilai itu diimplementasikan dalam kehidupan dan bagaimana keberhasilan yang diperoleh disesuaikan dengan nilai hidup yang diajarkan. Timbal baliknya, kita melihat hal-hal yang baik untuk menghidupkannya. Singkat kata, kita belajar dari leluhur kita. 

Penyelesaian pohon keluarga merupakan langkah utama. Oleh karena waktu berjalan terus, hal selanjutnya adalah kita perlu mengabadikan pengetahuan para orangtua yang mengetahui percabangan dalam keluarga, selagi mereka masih hidup. Ketiga, sejumlah anggota rukun memiliki minat yang tinggi tentang silsilah, filosofi dan budaya serta kemampuan untuk menyusun buku sehingga penerbitan sebuah buku keluarga sangat mungkin. Keempat, di zaman canggih seperti saat ini, penyusunan/publikasi serta penerimaan/penyerapan informasi dapat dilakukan serba cepat. Kelima, anak cucu kita bisa mengetahui dari mana mereka berasal sehingga dengan mudah bisa mengenali sesama rumpun keluarga meskipun mereka telah berdiaspora ke berbagai wilayah Indonesia bahkan di belahan dunia yang lain. 

Secara psikologis, pencarian pulang kampung mendekatkan diaspora kepada alam dan kebiasaan yang membesarkan leluhur mereka. Interaksi dengan masyarakat dan lingkungan membuka wawasan kita untuk merasakan tantangan yang dihadapi para leluhur, baik itu secara psikologis, ekonomis maupun sosial. Informasi boleh didapat secara langsung dengan narasumber tidak saja didasarkan pada kata-kata namun juga dari ekspresi, intonasi dan ekspresi wajah para narasumber yang tidak dapat dijelaskan hanya dalam bentuk kata. Bergaul secara langsung dengan para penutur/ narasumber juga memungkinkan percakapan dua arah sehingga percakapan dan data bisa lebih berkembang. Hal ini menunjukkan bahwa kegiatan pulang kampung kali ini menjadi hal yang cukup penting.  

Selain mengenal dari dekat anggota keluarga yang sebelumnya belum pernah jumpa, para peserta juga mendapat kesempatan mendekatkan diri satu sama lain. Berada di suatu tempat selama tiga hari berturut-turut dan melakukan sesuatu secara bersama-sama akan membuat kedekatan satu sama lain. Akar yang sama berujung pada percakapan yang serupa, sehingga lebih fokus dan berkembang dan menyenangkan. Walaupun pertemuan keluarga dalam kelompok kerukunan dilakukan setiap bulannya, namun menghabiskan waktu bersama sehari penuh dalam tiga hari berturut-turut;  mulai dari kegiatan tidur malam, bangun pagi, makan pagi dan siang serta diskusi maupun segala persiapannya pasti memberikan hasil yang sangat berbeda. Tidak ada hari libur lain selama empat hari berturut-turut dalam kalender tahun ini kecuali akhir minggu kemarin, Jumat sampai Senin, 13-16 Mei 2022 yang tersedia dan kondisi cuaca dan lautan cukup teduh. 

Meskipun kegiatan ini memakan sejumlah biaya, beberapa diaspora menyokong dalam bentuk dana, berbagai manfaat yang dijelaskan di atas diharapkan bisa meyakinkan kita bahwa agenda seperti ini perlu dibuat di mana kita, seluruh anggota keluarga merupakan komponen yang terkait langsung, dari orangtua (dewasa) sampai kepada anak kecil. Pulang kampung merupakan bukti nyata penghargaan kepada orang tua kita apalagi jika mereka masih hidup. Diharapkan, kegiatan ini menggugah para diaspora atau anggota keluarga di perantauan untuk datang pulang kampung atau paling tidak, dapat menyokong kegiatan seperti ini sekecil apapun untuk menggalang kekompakan dan semangat persaudaraan. Alangkah bahagianya hidup rukun dan damai di dalam persaudaraan. * 

Salak Tagulandang mulai menghilang?

Tahun 1990an, salak Tagulandang begitu dikenal, tidak saja di daerah Sulawesi Utara, tetapi sampai ke propinsi dan pulau yang lain seperti Sulawesi Tengah dan Kepulauan Ternate. Bagi penikmat salak, rasa dan bentuk salak Tagulandang memiliki ciri kas tersendiri; bentuknya lebih besar dan rasanya yang kuat (berasa yang manis, sedikit asam dan pakat-seperti berasa pahit getah- dengan daging yang kenyal. Kelancaran lalu-lintas perdagangan Manado ke kepulauan Sangihe, Talaud, Sitaro, dan ke propinsi tetangga Sulawesi Tengah membuat salak dari pulau ini berhasil mengharumkan dan mengabadikan namanya dalam hasil produksinya itu, Tagulandang. 

Waktu berlalu, lalu-lintas laut berubah dan hasil bumi juga berpindah. Masyarakat Tagulandang yang hidup di perantauan mulai menanam dan menghasilkan salak kemudian menjualnya ke lokasi-lokasi yang dulunya pengimport buah ini. Alhasil, permintaan salak Tagulandang mulai menurut. Perubahan rute kapal kecil yang menutup pelayaran dari Manado, ibukota propinsi Sulawesi Utara ke sejumlah wilayah di Sulawesi Tengah juga seakan menutup pintu masuk Salak Tagulandang ke daerah-daerah lain. 

"Banyak pohon salak ditebang dan diganti dengan pohon lain, seperti pala dan kenari. Ini dilakukan karena permintaan salak mulai menurun, sementara pala dan kenari tetap dicari," ungkap Stevi Mulalinda Loho, tokoh masyarakat Bawoleo yang merupakan pusat lokasi perkebunan salak di Tagulandang. Stevi menjelaskan, ekonomi masyarakat Tagulandang sebelumnya sangat bergantung pada ekspor salak dan kini harus mengganti sumber penghasilan lain sebagai penopang ekonomi. 

Penyebab lain susahnya salak Tagulandang ditemukan di pasaran akhir-akhir ini karena faktor cuaca yang tidak menentu. Curah hujan yang terus menerus beberapa waktu yang lalu mengganggu pertumbuhan buah salak sehingga banyak pohon tidak mengeluarkan buah, jelas Stevi. 

Bila di masa kejayaannya para petani salak Tagulandang sudah harus berjuang untuk menutupi pemeliharaan kebun dan penjualan salaknya serta kerugian bila buah rusak kerena tidak terjual pada waktunya, hal yang sama harus dilakukan saat ini ditambah lagi dengan usaha untuk mempertahakan eksistensi salak Tagulandang. Untuk memperoleh pemasukan tambahan, kebun salak misalnya, dapat dijadikan objek wisata buah; para turis yang datang ke Tagulandang dapat dituntun untuk mengunjungi kebun salak serta menikmati buah dengan petik langsung; tidak perlu terlalu cantik, yang penting pemeliharaan pohon dan kebersihan kawasan terjaga dengan baik. Usaha yang lain yang dapat dibuat adalah dengan memproduksi manisan salak atau keripik  salak sehingga tidak ada buah salak yang terbuang karena lewat waktu atau rusak.  Salak Tagulandangpun bisa tetap eksis dan dinikmati masyarakat. 

 

Nothing more exited but reunion

Nothing more exited but reunion

When we read or hear the word "reunion" our mind will look back to the great memories in the past and how we become in the present. Curiosities came to our mind, how is she or he going to look like and have I become the one that I then expected? However, more excitement lies upon the stories behind. 

I posted several photos and videos of my Manado 1980-1990s youth fellow friends, in our 2022 reunion at three places, Watumea SDA Church, Panasen SDA Church and YAPI orphanage last weekend, all located in Minahasa North Sulawesi, Indonesia. We chatted, sang, ate and attended church together. The throw-back of 80-90s session was the most memorable moment for each one of us. Compares to other church-based communities, this group has a stronger bounding; however the members come from different ages, different family and educational backgrounds, and different churches; nevertheless they have been keeping in touch over three decades and periodically brainstorming the three important areas of life: mind, body and soul at its hometown, Manado. The graduates are spreading across islands and borders, from Indonesia to the United States, in which some of them are playing important role in several public institutions such as hospital directors, university rectors, practical doctors, educators, et cetera. 

We are looking forward to our great reunion when Jesus comes to take us home.

Photos credited to: 

Vicky Silinaung, Arlinda Siwi, Nona, Linda Sumarauw, Bobby Malingkas, Janet Sepang, Ellen Manueke, Lucky Mangkey

Posing in front of Watumea SDA Church.
Photo by: Vicky Silinaung

The 8090s Youth members pictured together as they
preparing to sing the theme song "Make Me A Blessing"

The 8090s Youth members pictured together as they preparing to sing the theme song 
"Make Me A Blessing"
conducted by DR. Glen Latuni and piano accompaniment by Dr. Alvin Rantung

The viewer's screen from California, Boaz Malingkas

The lead singer, Robby Surentu

Photo after Sabbath Service in Panasen SDA Church

Dined and posed at Panasen SDAC Auditorium

Dined and posed at Panasen SDAC Auditorium

Dined and posed at Panasen SDAC Auditorium

Dined and posed at Panasen SDAC Auditorium

A group of the wives of the males 8090s  

Posing in front of Watumea SDA Church

Posing in front of Watumea SDA Church

Visiting YAPI Orphanage

Visiting YAPI Orphanage

Visiting YAPI Orphanage

Visiting YAPI Orphanage

Visiting YAPI Orphanage

Posing with YAPI orphans

]

Ulang tahun ala Covid

Halo, bagaimana kabar kalian di tahun 2020 ini? Tidak seperti indahnya angka 2000, bukan? Kita telah mengalami banyak yang tidak terduga dan penuh ketidakpastian. Ketika memasuki tahun baru, orang-orang berandai-andai untuk membuat kenangan sebanyak-banyaknya di tahun 2020. Banyak orang memimpikan untuk merayakan ulang tahun istimewa dan banyak iven penting lainnya. Tapi, lihatlah, banyak acara ditunda dan kita bahkan merayakan peringatan yang unik, ulang tahun ala covid, begitu orang-orang menyebutnya, di mana kita merayakannya dengan acara penjagaan jarak, seperti melakukan perayaan online dengan makanan yang disediakan sendiri di rumah; dan kita mulai terbiasa dengan semua hal baru tersebut. 

Dunia ini tidaklah jadi lebih baik. Akhir tahun kemarin, seorang teman baik saya menyatakan bahwa tahun ini tidak akan lebih baik dari tahun sebelumnya. Kehidupan di dunia ini penuh dengan ketidakpastian, kesulitan, kekhawatiran dan tantangan. Ya, memang pada suatu titik tertentu kita masih menikmati indahnya alam, atau perjalanan-perjalanan bahkan makanan. Namun, masalah tidak pernah berhendi; datang dan pergi dan tak seorangpun dapat menghentikannya.  

Saat ini saya ingin berbagi satu quote dari Kitab Suci, mengatakan bahwa dalam musim apapun, sebuah pohon yang ditanam di dekat air, tidak akan berhenti menghasilkan buah. Memang, musim gugur akan datang di mana pohon itu kehilangan semua daunnya, namun, lihatlah, batangnya tetap berdiri kokoh, menunggu waktu mendapatkan kembali semua daunnya lalu mulai menghasilkan buah dan bunga kembali. 

Ia akan seperti pohon yang ditanam di tepi air, yang merambatkan akar-akarnya ke tepi batang air, dan yang tidak mengalami datangnya panas terik, yang daunnya tetap hijau, yang tidak kuatir dalam tahun kering, dan yang tidak berhenti menghasilkan buah. 

Hari baik maupun buruk datang dan pergi kapanpun. Tetapi, selama kita terhubung dengan Yesus, sang Air Hidup, Sumber Kehidupan, kita akan aman di setiap harinya. 

Sejumlah orang mengalami kesulitan yang melebihi dari manusia normal. Mereka menderita cacat di sebagian bahkan seumur hidup mereka, sebagaian lagi jatuh sakit dan melewati masa-masa yang penuh kesulitan. Namun, justru dari orang-orang ini kita, manusia normal, belajar banyak tentang kehidupan, bahkan memotivasi kita untuk berbuat lebih banyak dalam hidup. 

Saya suka mencari tahu latar belakang sebuah lagu diciptakan untuk dapat lebih menjiwai dan menghayati kata demi kata yang disusun. Kali ini saya ingin membagi cerita tentang seorang pria yang menulis syair dari salah satu lagu favorit saya. Orang ini menderita sakit hampir selama usia dewasanya. Ia bernama Thomas. Selengkapnya dapat dilihat di video saya

Lagu ini tidak saja membuat saya memahami betapi Pencipta kita itu setia dan penuh rahmat, tetapi saya rasa andapun demikian. Dia memenuhi kebutuhan kita setiap harinya. Dia akan tetap seperti itu dan tidak akan berubah. 

Great is Thy Faithfulness

Great is Thy faithfulness, O God my Father;

There is no shadow of turning with Thee;

Thou changest not, Thy compassions, they fail not;

As Thou hast been Thou forever wilt be

Great is Thy faithfulness! Great is Thy faithfulness!

Morning by morning new mercies I see;

All I have needed Thy hand hath provided

Great is Thy faithfulness, Lord, unto me!

Summer and winter and springtime and harvest,

sun, moon and stars in their courses above

Join with all nature in manifold witness

to Thy great faithfulness, mercy and love

Pardon for sin and a peace that endureth,

Thine own dear presence to cheer and to guide,

Strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow,

blessings all mine, with ten thousand beside!

Inilah cerita saya hari ini, semoga anda berhagia. 

Miracle in the wilderness

Miracle in the wilderness

I can say that June is my month. I was born on June. And this year celebration was so special, since I have reached 45, the middle of 40s. Remember, people said, life begins at 40. I would close the month of June the great thing just happened on me.

This was my first birthday here, in a strange place that soon became a lovely place, Savannah Tennessee. Even in a new place, I was surrounding by all family member: my husband and my two kids. I had also warm birthday wishes from you, my lovely students I feel that I am so bless. 

This month was began with a long trip to Colby, Kansas, a 15 hours driving from here, but at that time, I was driving from Denver, CO. I went there for a purpose, to find a school for my daughter. It was the first day of June that I met a new friend, who then helped me when I  was suffering couple of days later. 

My husband, my daughter and I went back to Colby five days later. Our plan was to heading back to Savannah after doing paper work at Colby. After two hours driving, one more hour to arrive, suddenly, the car stopped. My husband tried to figure out the problem of the vehicle that we just bought two weeks before. At that time he concluded, it was the engine oil problem, needed to refill. But, the thing is, we were in the middle of the interstate, and the car could not move. There was a man, asking for towing our car, but we did not answer him directly, so he went a way. We contacted a towing car eventually.

After waiting more than an hour, under a very bright sunshine, our car was towed to the nearest town, Burlington. It was no more that nine minutes, but we have to pay $150. We imagined how much money needed to bring it to Denver where the dealer located. 

We reached Burlington in the mid of the day and it was a very hot day. We soon went to buy oil and refilled it. But, the car was still unable to turned on. My husband was trying and trying to work on it and asking assistance from a friend by phone. But, it still didn’t work. 

The shop also helped us to find out the problem but still, the car cannot on. It was then worse that before; the diagnose said that the engine machine was unworked, the battery was low, needed to change, and several other problems: the right and left front wheel and the left back wheel did not run well. We need help. Going to the town we were heading to that took more than an hour seemed impossible. But, we kept trying to fix the car.

After an unsuccessful-self trying out, we asked local mechanic to help us. We have to wait outside the car, under the hot sunshine, without comfortable place to rest. We had never thought that the process took so long. The mechanic did not know anything about the car system, which is hybrid, a combination of electric and manual machine. We came to think to bring it back to Denver to a dealer located in Aurora. But, of course it takes thousand of dollar. 

Towing car will cost around 1500 and changing the battery and fixing other stuff at the dealer will cost around 4000. We also had to wait a few days. so, we were thinking of just leaving the car and we may go back to Denver or even Savannah by plane of using rental car. But how?

People came up proposed certain services: towing car, rental car and hotel. A man from Asia also came and offered some help but we were not sure of his purpose. At that time, we didn’t know what to do unless told him, “we can only waiting for a miracle”. In time like that, we can do nothing but surrender.

I suddenly remember the friend I meet at Colby. I called her by phone and told her our problem. You know what did she say? “She said she will take all of us to Denver and towing the car as well to the nearest dealer in the next day. Our plea was answered right away. I could not believe it, but it happened. So we spent a night in a hotel located near to the auto part and we went there by walk.

The day after, in the morning, our beloved friend, took three of us along with the unmoving car back to Denver. She and her husband worked for all of it with no cost. I still amazed how God works on these things. He helped us through our lovely friends who were touched by His voice. 

But, the journey to fix the car is not as easy as ‘an answer of a prayer’. We had to work hard and trying to find the best deal and it took all the day. When the hot sunny day turned to heavy rain, we tried not to complain. We have to patiently waiting the process and corporate well in all aspect so we may see God's amazing way.

We decided not to bring the car to the dealer since it takes lots of money and time. We left it in a mechanic's yard, whose address was found through Facebook. And it came until after sundown, when I was told that the car works again and we have to pay nothing for all of this. The mechanic knew how to diagnose that car and found out the problem was only in the fuel. It might became out of gas during the process of fixing. So now, It is fixed. Then, in that evening, we took the car back. We decided to heading back to Savannah. God is so good. 

Have you spent some times in the wilderness? Do you know what wilderness is?

Cambridge dictionary said that it is 

an area of land that has not been used to grow crops or had towns and roads built on it, especially because it is difficult to live in as a result of its extremely cold or hot weather or bad earth. 

I can say that a wilderness is a situation of no food or water to drink, hot sunshine beating the skin, no comfortable place to sleep and at the same time you have to survive to live. 

A miracle is 

an unusual and mysterious event that is thought to have been caused by a god, or any very surprising and unexpected event.

Another meanings are a marvellous event manifesting a supernatural act of a divine agent or any amazing or wonderful occurrence.

Thousand of years ago, a group of people, a nation, experienced miracle in the wilderness. In that time, that miracle can be described as a marvellous event while in nowadays people can say it as  ‘impossibility’. 

The story is found in Exodus 14

Exodus 14

18 The Egyptians will know that I am the LORDwhen I gain glory through Pharaoh, his chariots and his horsemen.” 

19Then the angel of God, who had been traveling in front of Israel’s army, withdrew and went behind them. The pillar of cloud also moved from in front and stood behind them, 

20 coming between the armies of Egypt and Israel. Throughout the night the cloud brought darkness to the one side and light to the other side; so neither went near the other all night long. 

21 Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and all that night the LORD drove the sea back with a strong east wind and turned it into dry land. The waters were divided, 

22 and the Israelites went through the sea on dry ground, with a wall of water on their right and on their left. 

23 The Egyptians pursued them, and all Pharaoh’s horses and chariots and horsemen followed them into the sea. 

24 During the last watch of the night the LORD looked down from the pillar of fire and cloud at the Egyptian army and threw it into confusion. 

25 He jammed the wheels of their chariots so that they had difficulty driving. And the Egyptians said, “Let’s get away from the Israelites! The LORD is fighting for them against Egypt.” 

26 Then the LORD said to Moses, “Stretch out your hand over the sea so that the waters may flow back over the Egyptians and their chariots and horsemen.” 

27Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and at daybreak the sea went back to its place. The Egyptians were fleeing toward it, and the LORD swept them into the sea. 

28 The water flowed back and covered the chariots and horsemen—the entire army of Pharaoh that had followed the Israelites into the sea. Not one of them survived. 

29 But the Israelites went through the sea on dry ground, with a wall of water on their right and on their left.

30 That day the LORD saved Israel from the hands of the Egyptians, and Israel saw the Egyptians lying dead on the shore.

31 And when the Israelites saw the mighty hand of the LORD displayed against the Egyptians, the people feared the LORD and put their trust in him and in Moses his servant.

After the ‘great’ miracle, the Israelites sing praises to God Almighty. We can find it in Exodus 15. 

1 Then Moses and the Israelites sang this song to the LORD: “I will sing to the LORD, for he is highly exalted. Both horse and driver he has hurled into the sea. 

2 “The LORD is my strength and my defense ; he has become my salvation. He is my God, and I will praise him, my father’s God, and I will exalt him. 

After the read sea miracle, there were also several other ‘miracles” given to the Israelites in their journey on the wilderness. 

1. God turned the bitter water into drinking water through Moses’ hand using a piece of wood. Exodus 15: 25 "Then Moses cried out to the LORD, and the LORD showed him a piece of wood. He threw it into the water, and the water became fit to drink. There the LORD issued a ruling and instruction for them and put them to the test."
2. He provides food for the Israelites along the journey: manna, can be found in Exodus 16:1-4. 1 The whole Israelite community set out from Elim and came to the Desert of Sin, which is between Elim and Sinai, on the fifteenth day of the second month after they had come out of Egypt. 2 In the desert the whole community grumbled against Moses and Aaron. 3 The Israelites said to them, “If only we had died by the LORD’s hand in Egypt! There we sat around pots of meat and ate all the food we wanted, but you have brought us out into this desert to starve this entire assembly to death.” 4 Then the LORD said to Moses, “I will rain down bread from heaven for you. The people are to go out each day and gather enough for that day. In this way I will test them and see whether they will follow my instructions. 
3. Water from the rock (Exodus 17) 

Previously, God provides a pilar of a cloud by day and a pilar of fire to give them light in the night (Exodus 13:21).

 

But, after all miracles after, they still do not trusting God fully. They were easily fell into complaining to their leader, which is obeying God’s commandments. 

When Moses climb Mount Sinai to receive the Ten Commandments, Israelites came to their great sin against Him. Exodus 32 described how they fell to sin against God. 

6 So the next day the people rose early and sacrificed burnt offerings and presented fellowship offerings. Afterward they sat down to eat and drink and got up to indulge in revelry. 

At that time, all of the rebelled people were put into death. 

My point is:  God has shown us His great power and miracle but many times we forget them and do things against His commands, like the Israelites. 

Let us think of  the purpose of a miracle. God has certain goal, to show His mighty power and mercy. When He performed miracles, He wants us to walk in it in reality just like the Israelites did. He wants our heart to fully walk in His way, to be like Him. 

 God is love. He forgives and blesses over and over again. Until I become a mother, I realise how forgiveness is important to awake the children’s love. Children may doing wrong day by day, but we know that only patience and forgiveness may awaken the children’s passion of love. 

God’s love is beyond our thought. Each day He showers His blessing upon us and even grants us miracles. But he also forgives us when we do wrong. How could we say no to Him?