Mar. 11, 2016

Contributed by Nadine Lagaso

Have you ever heard the story about the lawaiʻa (fisherman) who woke up early every morning, and went out on his little waʻa (canoe) to catch iʻa (fish) for his ʻohana? He was such a good lawaiʻa that by 8:00 a.m. he caught all the iʻa he needed, and by 11:00 a.m. you would see him sitting under a tree leisurely repairing his ʻupena (nets) or making a new ʻupena.

One day a stranger came up to the lawaiʻa as he sat under the shade of his favorite tree, and said, “I heard from others that you’re a very good lawaiʻa. Some say that you have a gift. Why are you sitting here? You could be catching more iʻa and selling it at the fish market for more money.”

The lawaiʻa looked up from his handiwork and responded, “Why would I want to do that?” The stranger said, “So you can use the extra money to buy a bigger waʻa.”

The fisherman again responded, “And why would I want to do that?” The stranger said, “Because with a bigger waʻa you can catch more iʻa to sell at the market for even more money, and with that extra money you could buy an ʻauwaʻa (fleet of canoes).”

Once again the lawaiʻa asked, “And why would I want to do that?” The stranger responded, “Because with an ʻauwaʻa, you could hire other lawaiʻa to catch the iʻa and to sell the iʻa, and you could just relax and enjoy all the money that you make.”

After a long pause, the lawaiʻa nodded his head and said, “Oh, you mean after all that,

I could sit under my favorite tree and relax?”  

“Yes!” responded the stranger. “I’m good,” said the lawaiʻa turning his focus back to the ‘upena he had in his hands, “I’m already sitting under my favorite tree and relaxing.”

Sometimes we really need to step back and ask, “Why am I doing what I am doing?” Are you working toward building up a fleet of canoes or are you content with what you have?  You know, God never intended our lives to be complicated. Quite the contrary, He intended our lives to be worry-free, even in the midst of turmoil.

Philippians 4:6-7 in the scripture above encourages us to live a life of Godly peace.

The lawaiʻa did have a gift. It was the gift of understanding that Ke Akua (God) had provided him with everything that he and his ʻohana needed. He didn’t need all the stress, frustration, headaches and struggles that came along with building a fleet of canoes. He preferred to relax and talk story with his fellow fishermen as they all worked on their nets together. He preferred spending time with his wife and his children. His life was just as Ke Akua had intended – worry-free.

In the Hawaiian text of the Baibala, our kūpuna chose key Hawaiian words to express the manaʻo (meaning) of this passage. Through our cultural lens, we might interpret these to be a “cause and effect” in our daily lives.

Thus, if we pule (pray), noi (ask for supplication) and hoʻomaikaʻi (give praise and thanks), then we receive and come to know Ke Akua’s maluhia (peace) and hoʻomalu (protection) so that we need not “manaʻo nui” (give too much thought) or hopohopo (worry).

As we walk through this Lenten season, it’s a good time to re-evaluate whether you are living the worry-free life that Ke Akua intended you to live. Living worry-free doesn’t mean that you’re living a life without ups and downs. It means that you’re living a life of Godly peace and that no matter the ups and downs, Ke Akua’s peace will watch over your desires and thoughts.  

So set aside some time to talk with Ke Akua about anything. It doesn’t have to be the perfect time or place. It can be a few minutes anywhere. You just have to be you.    

Teen Take
By Keiki Kahu Makamae Nottage, KSK’16

As a senior in high school, my life is everything but worry-free. Almost every second of my day is occupied. I am at school for about eight hours, and then return home to do chores, work on scholarship applications, do homework, and eventually to go sleep.

Many of us teenagers have busy lives. We go to school, go to sports practice, and then stay up until 1 a.m. on a mission to finish our homework (even if we are drifting away by 11 p.m.). We do not take the time to appreciate what surrounds us. We do not focus on the birds tweeting by, the clouds flowing through the sky, or the leaves and flowers rustling in the wind. 

God did not create us to be stressed about homework and about our future. He created us to be worry-free, and to appreciate the beauty around us, even when our world may feel as if it is crashing down on us.

The bible tells us in Philippians 4:6-7 (NLT) “Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank Him for all He has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.”

We may worry about succeeding, passing a difficult class, or paying for college, but God tells us not to worry about these things. God tells us to go to Him with thanksgiving and prayer. God says to talk to Him about our difficulties and our successes.

This Lenten season, I encourage you to take time out of your day to pray. You will notice that when you pray, God will not only listen to you, but will also assist you. By living a life of Godly peace, you will have the power to face every setback. So go to Him! Pray to Him! And Live in Christ Jesus!