Advent Week 2: The journey to Godʻs promise can be a test of patience and faith

In this week’s Advent devotional, KS Kapālama Athletics Relations Associate and Head Football Coach Abu Ma‘afala shares how patience – while oftentimes painful – has its rewards. Above, the coach celebrates with senior Adam Stack, who recently became the first KS football player to be named a U.S. Army All-American.

Dec. 2, 2016

Contributed by Nadine Lagaso

Kamehameha Schools envisions its learners to be grounded in Christian and Hawaiian values. Nā kahu o Kamehameha – Brian Boshard, Kordell Kekoa and Kalani Wong – helped create weekly Hawaiian-focused Advent devotionals. Although designed with students in mind, they can also be used by families or individuals to celebrate the coming of Christmas.

Being ahonui (patient) and waiting is one of the hardest things to do in today’s world. With mounds of information available at our fingertips and advances in technology that allow us to grab ‘n go, we can become quickly ulukū (frustrated) if our web browsers are slow or we wait in line longer than one minute for something.

Even when the Lord shows us the purpose for our lives, we want it to happen right here, right now. But our greatest growth and Ke Akua’s provision happens in those times where we have to wait for it. This is shown to us in Genesis through the life of Joseph.

Joseph was the eleventh of 12 sons of Jacob, and Ke Akua revealed to him in a dream that his entire family would bow down before him – yes, even his makuahine and makuakāne (grandmother and grandfather)!

At the end of the moʻolelo, Joseph was the second most powerful man in the whole world, saved his family from a great famine in the land, and his dream came to fruition. But what Joseph did not know was what would happen to him before this happened and how long it would take for it to happen.

It took 29 years from the time of his dream to the fruition of it. Within that 29 years Joseph was sold into slavery by his own brothers. Then after achieving some status in Potipher’s house, he was wrongfully accused of adultery and thrown into prison to rot away.

But Joseph never lost sight of what God told him he was going to be, relied on Ke Akua through it all, and Ke Akua gave him everything he needed while he waited for the promise to be fulfilled. He remained faithful to the Lord and even better, He used the gifts Ke Akua gave him to help those around him, regardless of his circumstances.

Joseph is a great picture of what waiting and being ahonui for the Lord’s direction can do for us. In our greatest times of connection with the Lord, He has shown each and every one of us what He wants to do for and through us. Let us not become distracted by our current circumstances, but continue to cling to the promise Ke Akua gave us, and look for the ways we can be used right where we are.

From my experiences, the greatest reward is not in reaching the end but in everything that happened to get there, and how we were able to be used during that time. So during this time of preparation for the birth of our Haku Hoʻōla, our Savior, where has Ke Akua placed you and who has He placed in your path? You could very well be the blessing that someone has been waiting for.

STRATEGIC PLAN 2020
SP2020 is a five-year strategic plan that will guide Kamehameha Schools from 2015 to 2020. The plan marks a starting point toward KS’ Vision 2040, which envisions success for all Native Hawaiian learners.

This series of Advent devotionals supports Vision 2040 by instilling in haumāna and others the Christian and Hawaiian values embraced by KS’ beloved founder, Princess Bernice Pauahi Bishop.

Download this week’s Advent devotional

WHAT:
Hawaiian-focused devotionals created for use by KS students, families and others during the season of Advent. Each devotional includes: a scripture reading in Hawaiian and English, some manaʻo, questions to ponder, a prayer, a keiki activity and a mele.

WHO:
Developed by KS Hawaiʻi Kahu (chaplain) Kaunaloa Boshard, KS Kapālama Kahu Kordell Kekoa, KS Maui Kahu Kalani Wong, and KS Cultural Specialist Hauʻoli Akaka.

WHY:
To honor the deep Christian faith and Hawaiian values of KS founder Princess Bernice Pauahi Bishop.

WHEN:
The remainder of the devotionals will be posted to the KS I Mua Newsroom every Friday leading up to Christmas.

For details on the devotionals, including introduction and usage videos, see the initial I Mua Newsroom story.

DOWNLOAD THIS WEEK’S DEVOTIONAL

Download past 2016 devotionals:

Advent Week 1

Nā kahu o Kamehameha – Kordell Kekoa, Kalani Wong and Brian Boshard helped create weekly Hawaiian-focused Advent devotionals. Although designed with students in mind, they can also be used by families or individuals to celebrate the coming of Christmas.