Jul. 2, 2020

Contributed by KS Maui Kahu Kalani Wong KSK’74

Ka Ipu o Lono shares weekly devotionals to provide spiritual enrichment to members of the Kamehameha Schools ‘ohana. For more inspiration, visit the KS “Our faith” website.

Heluhelu Baibala

Mai hoʻomanaʻo ʻoukou i nā mea ma mua, Mai manaʻo hoʻi i nā mea kahiko. Aia hoʻi, e hana ana au i mea hou; I kēia manawa nō ia e puka mai ai; ʻAʻole anei ʻoukou e ʻike mai? He ʻoiaʻiʻo nō, e hana nō wau i alanui ma ka wao nahele, A i kahawai hoʻi ma ka wao akua. - Isaia 43:19

Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. Behold, I will do something new, Now it will spring forth; Will you not be aware of it? I will even make a roadway in the wilderness, Rivers in the desert. - Isaiah 43:19

He manaʻo o ke kahu

Given what the world has been through over the past few months, we realize that life as we knew it may never be the same. How do we make sense of what is to come? How do we get used to wearing masks or keeping socially distant?

I was at Costco around the start of April and it didn’t feel unusual to be waiting in line for a minimum of 20 minutes to enter nor wearing a face mask. That was just a couple weeks into our sheltering at home. It seemed like we had been doing this for a while, though it has been a bit shorter. There was an uncertainty of how we would move forward at this time, yet we found ways to make it happen. With ke Akua’s help, we were able to make a way through the wilderness that we found ourselves in.

Part of the challenge that we have in moving forward is our tie to the past. We know what we know, and we want to continue doing what we’ve always done because it’s simpler, even if it does not work anymore. Trust in ke Akua – “forget the former things, do not dwell on the past.” These are the thoughts that limit our view of what could be because we only see what has been. Taking that step of faith is scary but it is also liberating. It leads to growth and new opportunities.

When we trust in ke Akua, we will see a new normal, in fact ke Akua has always created new pathways but we just don’t see them because our view is limited. Let’s open our maka to see the new ways, the roadways in the wilderness that are before us. And not just us, but for our haumāna and our lāhui as well.

Points to ponder this week:

• What past do you need to let go of so you can see what is in front of you? Pule for ke Akua’s strength and direction as you find a way to holomua.
• Ke Akua is “doing a new thing.” What new opportunity has come to you, your ʻohana, a me ka honua which could have only been because of ke Akua? Give thanks for that with deep appreciation. Share that joy with others.
• Look at the life of the Hebrew people and see how ke Akua opened roadways in the wilderness for them. What were their reactions when forced to take that step? How can we learn from that? How did ke Akua respond to their concerns and move them to new attitudes leading towards growth?
• Two hundred years ago, the Gospel arrived in the Hawaiian Islands on a roadway that ke Akua had opened. Take a look at the life of our aliʻi and how they received the Gospel to be inspired for your own growth and enlightenment. To start, here are Kaʻahumanu and Keōpūolani’s journeys.
• Take time out to pule for the new path that ke Akua has put in front of you. Open your mind and your heart to the possibilities of rivers in the desert. Find a hoaaloha who you can brainstorm your manaʻo with. Be pule partners for one another.