Jul. 2, 2021

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
No ka mea, ʻo kākou kāna hana i hana ʻia ma o Kristo Iesū lā, no nā hana maikaʻi, a ke Akua i hoʻomākaukau ʻē mai ai, i haele kākou ma laila. – ‘Epeso 2:1

Scripture Reading
For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them. – Ephesians 2:10

He manaʻo o ke kahu
It’s great to see the athletic teams back out practicing after a year of non-activity. Football is always a big fall sport, and the athletes are back in the weight room or the practice field for conditioning and training. In a bit, they will don light pads and progress to heavier workouts, until they are ready for full pads and hard-hitting practices.

There will be a couple of preseason games for tuning up before the regular season starts. The goal of each player is to get onto the field to show how all that hard work has paid off. I’ve had my share of bench warming – going through all the drills and practices just to sit out during games. It was times like that which made me wonder why go through all that work and not be able to contribute. We all want to show that we can do the job, we just need the chance.

As believers, we do all the workouts and training to be ready so we can live the life that ke Akua has laid out before us. We do daily workouts with pule, scripture reading, diving into devotionals, and keeping our minds focused. And then we sit on the bench waiting for playing time. I say, get off the bench and get in the game. There is no one who is going to call our number. Nor do we have to wait for someone to step out before we step in. We are free to jumpin and put into practice the lessons that we have been working hard to learn.

If we are living our lives as true believers, life would be game time and not just practice time. We would be off the bench and on the field always. Let life around you call the plays. How you ask? For example, we are told to pray constantly. So, the next time an emergency response vehicle such as an ambulance, fire engine, or a police cruiser, passes you with its lights flashing and horn blaring, get off the bench and start praying. Pule for the patient, the EMT, fire fighter or peace officer. Pray for their safety, for the patient’s care and healing, for the homes/lives impacted. Can you imagine if all the Kalikiano on the route of those vehicles said a prayer for just a minute, those first responders would be driving through a gauntlet of God’s protection all along the way.

Volunteer to make or serve a meal at a shelter. Support a nonprofit to mālama i ka ‘āina. Pass on the kālā from your recycling to a mission group. If we put effort into making a difference, rather than just talking about it, we would be a world living in peace, where everyone's needs are met.

We are created in God’s image for a reason, to do the work that He has prepared for us beforehand. Let’s get off the bench and start working on God’s to-do list. IT’S GAME TIME!

KS Maui Kahu Kalani Wong KSK’74 shares that life with ke Akua means it is always game time. When we get off the bench and put effort into making a difference, rather than just talking about it, ke Akua will reward us with the win.