A Love Story Authored by God

14 July 2013 by Adeline Lum CM-

 

Like Simon and Andrew who left their nets at once to follow Jesus (Mark 1:16-18), Pastor Joshua left to follow Jesus when He spoke, “The harvest is great, but the workers are few (Matthew 9:37).”

“I didn’t know about the church or leadership but I just followed Jesus by blind faith,” said Senior Pastor Joshua Low of Hosanna Praise Assembly in Kajang.

 

 

While attending a miracle rally led by Dr Colton Wickramaratna at Kajang Townhall in June 1983, he knew that God called him to preach the gospel specifically in Malay language.

At that time, he was given 1 Timothy 3:1, which says, ‘This is a trustworthy saying: “If someone aspires to be an elder, he desires an honorable position.”’

Although he desired to go immediately to the Bible school upon receiving his calling, he obeyed his Senior Pastor of Kajang AOG to stay and work first for the church for a year.

“My aunt who shared the gospel with me also advised me not to go, so that I would not do this half way and then return and embarrass myself,” said Joshua.

 

 

Hence, Joshua worked for Kajang AOG for a year from September 1983 to August 1984. With RM150 a month as salary, his mother was concerned and understandably frustrated.

“I told my mother that I have RM1 for breakfast, RM2 for lunch and another RM2 for dinner,” said Joshua who was contented with God’s providence.

Hence, Joshua stayed in the church under the supervision of his Senior Pastor. With the free time he had, he felt that God was training him to be a preacher already!

“Every time when I sweep the floor of the church, I would use my broomstick as a microphone and I would say, ‘Repent for the Kingdom of God is near,’” joked Joshua.

At that time, he was also thinking in his heart, “I was still single then and I wanted to get marry. I needed a wife!”

 

 

The Lord who knows Joshua’s heart desire (Psalm 38:9) replied to him that He would give him a life partner who would help him. And she would come from a village, whose parents fear God.

Hence, with faith, Joshua went to Seminari Alkitab Trinitas in Malang, Indonesia on August 1984 upon completion of his one-year service in Kajang AOG. And he formed the first mission trip of the bible school by recruiting two other students. They received a divine direction to go to Sulawesi.

Hence, Joshua traveled four days and three nights in a 1500-passenger steamer to minister to 12 churches in central Sulawesi. During then, he also met his current wife, Etmi.

“When I met Etmi who was a training nurse in the hospital, it was like love at first sight. I could feel my heart beating fast,” said Joshua who bought an orchid flower for Etmi the second day they met.

Later on, he found out that she was actually the daughter of the District Superintendant of AOG in central Sulawesi, whom he already met at the Bible School in Malang. In other words, he knew Etmi’s father before even knowing Etmi.

“I asked his father if we could actually pursue a more serious relationship beyond a friendship. His father said, ‘Up to you and up to God. If ada jodoh, you can be together,’” said Joshua.

 

 

Hence, he returned to his Bible school after building a friendship over a month and a half.

“The lecturers knew my desire and advised me to like someone in the Bible School itself since Etmi was very far. They told me that surely someone closer to Etmi would be interested and propose to her instead,” said Joshua.

One of the lecturers was so supportive that they would even allow him to use an owned house for one hour per week, under their supervision to build a friendship. But Joshua only had Etmi in his heart.

“All I did was pray. Since Etmi didn’t like writing letters, I returned a year and eight months later to ask for her hand in marriage,” said Joshua who saved up to three months of his Bible school allowance for the trip.

But three days before leaving, he was called to give all his money away to a student at the dormitory who wanted to start a ministry. Joshua declined giving in his heart the first day and second day but on the third day, he finally gave in and gave everything he had to his friend.

“I was expecting God to give me back this money because I need that money to reach her place to propose and come back to my bible school in Malang,” said Joshua.

Hence, with a previously bought one-way airplane ticket, he then flew from Surabaya to Palu in central Sulawesi. In Palu, a pastor invited him to be a speaker. He thought in his heart, ‘Surely God would return him all the money he had given away. ‘

“But after that, the pastor only gave me enough money to travel half the distance to Etmi’s place,” said Joshua who needed to travel another 230 km from Poso to Desa Korowou where Etmi resided. Poor guy!

 

 

At Poso, he met his friend, Pastor Yohanes who convinced his mother to buy two bus tickets worth 10,000 rupiah to Desa Korowou. Finally, Joshua arrived but Etmi did not want to marry him.

“I didn’t want to marry a pastor because I knew how difficult it is to be brought up in a pastor’s family. My father has a big church in the village and we used to carry all the balak, kayu and rotan to build the church from scratch,” said Etmi.

Because the congregation members were mostly farmers, they could only give their first fruits of plantation or chicken eggs, with no cash as tithes. Hence, to sustain the family of nine children, Etmi and his siblings would need to grow their own food.

“I know the meaning of being poor or lacking. We stay deep in the forest with no television or lights. But I could see God blessing our family with an abundant harvest,” said Etmi.

Besides pastors, Etmi had also set in her heart to not marry a soldier and a police officer since childhood.

“I grew up with a very gentle and patient father and he is lovely to my mother. He raised his children with the love of God because he grew up as an orphan. I cannot marry with a rough person because I would defend myself,” said Etmi.

“I told myself I must find a husband next time like my father and Joshua is exactly like my father,” she added.

 

 

But at that time, Etmi did not want to marry Joshua. Thus, she did not reply him when he arrived. On the other hand, Joshua was waiting for her in distress.

“I was feeling very impatient and I was giving up already. So, I started to write a letter to thank her for the opportunity and told her that it was not God’s will,” said Joshua who wanted to packed his bags and leave the second day he arrived.

But the problem was that he did not have any money to go home the second day! With no choice, he heeded Etmi’s brother-in-law advice to fast and pray, which Joshua did.

 

 

So, what changed Etmi’s heart?

“In my career, I was friends with a doctor and a reporter then where we could go beyond our friendships if we wanted. But my father… on that second night, he told me, ‘No other job in this world is called very honorable except for serving God,’” said Etmi.

That changed her heart. She could not sleep that night. Deep inside her, she knew that she loves God whole-heartedly. Hence, she would love the man of God whole-heartedly as well.

“My father told me when you marry a pastor; let the blessings of Jacob be upon you! It was a hard decision because I didn’t want a poor life,” said Etmi.

She also wanted to honor and obey her parents, for the promise of blessings (Ephesians 6:2-3). At that time, Joshua was just a friend to her who approached her parents for marriage, not her. But in retrospect, it is indeed biblical. Akin to Abraham sending his servant to approach Rebecca’s parents first for her hand in marriage, Joshua did the same for Etmi.

Hence, Etmi decided to marry Joshua on the third day. And suddenly, everything began to make sense!

Had Joshua not give the money away to the student in the Bible school, he would have left the second day and he would probably never return to Desa Korowou. Indeed, the Lord has a purpose for everything. And His purpose only unfolded after Joshua obeyed.

 

 

You might think that the story ended with God’s mission accomplished. But wait, Joshua still had no money to return to his Bible School in Malang. Sending him to the airport, his father-in-law bid Joshua farewell but Joshua could not leave. And after awhile, his father returned and still found him standing there.

“I told him I did not have any money to leave. And my father-in-law asked why I didn’t tell him earlier?” said Joshua.

Turned out, the Holy Spirit moved his father-in-law to break his clay bank and he took out 25,000 rupiah without knowing what it was for.

“I told God that I felt embarrassed but He told me, I would return with 1.5 million rupiah one and a half month later in marrying Etmi,” said Joshua.

And true to His Word, after the trip, a lady pastor introduced Joshua to the second richest tycoon in Indonesia. And since then, this tycoon had funded Joshua and Etmi’s marriage, house, car, and children.

 

 

“When people talk about lacking, I know what it is to be in lack. When I walk with people who are rich, I also know the meaning. God is amazing!” said Etmi citing Psalm 31:19.

Psalm 31:19

How abundant are the good things that you have stored up for those who fear you that you bestow in the sight of all, on those who take refuge in you.

Indeed, the Lord has honored his promises. In 2003, the Lord gave Pastor Joshua the opportunity to fund the new building of his father-in-law’s church. The 25,000 rupiah did not go to waste.

Also, on a side note, nothing given to God returned empty. Fifteen years after his friend, Pastor Yohanes in Poso gave, Joshua is now returning the favor under God’s grace by blessing his friend and his mother with one million Rupiah; they are in a period of living as refugees in northern Sulawesi.

Married since February 1987, Pastor Joshua and Etmi have been married for 26 years now with five beautiful children. In everything, they worked as a team, complementing each other’s strengths and weaknesses.

“The key is that the man must know in his heart that he deeply loves his partner. Like how God show that He deeply loves us first, a man must show that he deeply loves his future wife too,” said Pastor Joshua.

 

 

A love story authored by God, Pastor Joshua Low and Sister Etmi had a blessed marriage and home. Let us not forget that God is the author of the Songs of Songs. Is He then not a romantic God?

Proverbs 18:22                                                                                                      

He who finds a wife finds a good thing, and obtains favor from the Lord

 

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