Earlier I had posted things that we had done this past week. I also wrote that if I feel impressed to write something else I'd jump on and do it then.
I am writing now because I just listened to a talk that was given at BYU-Hawaii Thursday, November 04, 2004 Emerge With Your Gifts by Mervlyn Kitashima. She grew up on Kauai and is a graduate from Kamehameha and received the mother of the year award for 2003.
What I was impressed with is what she talked about concerning the Ohia Lehua Blossom. An ohia lehua tree provides rare color on a lava field in Volcanoes National Park, Hawaii. Ohio lehua are the most abundant native trees in Hawaii and are among the first life in new lava flows. According to Hawaiian legend, the tree is actually a young warrior. Pele, the goddess of fire, wanted to marry the warrior. When he refused, she turned him into a tree. The other gods weren't able to turn him back, so they turned his true love into the lehua blossom so they could be reunited. It's said that if you pick one of the blossoms, it will rain – the tears of lovers.
OK...it isn't the legend that I want to focus on, it is what Sister Kitashima said about the actual tree. She said that at first, the tree is small, it doesn't grow very big and it has ugly branches and it is straggly and doesn't look appealing. It is not pretty, gnarled and twisted possibly because of the stress and the amount of work it takes to break thru the lava created earth. The blossom is beautiful once it blooms. The post popular color is RED. There are other colors though such as pink, yellow and gold. Her hole point of this analogy was that look at the beauty from such a distorted tree, look at what it becomes from such a distorted environment and look what beauty God can create when he provides the necessities of life to bloom.
I thought about that scenario this morning as she was speaking and had to go back and listen to it again at least 3-4 times to know that she was talking to me. I was to listen to that talk today so that Karen would remember that I am a daughter of God and that he loves me and that he provided a Savior for me so that I could return home to him again.
The awesome part of this story is, is that my middle name is Leihua. Mine name has the "I" because the flower is included in a Lei. How wonderful it is. I don't think that my grandma even had a clue that this world and name would be so significant to me later on in my life and I'm grateful for my parents who agreed to give me the name.
I love life, I love the Lord. I sound like an idiot when I share my testimony because my Savior means so much to me that I loose focus. I am grateful for the atonement and what it has done for me. Out of barren and rough ground, I am humble to say that Heavenly Father has created a beautiful me and I'm grateful to him for that.
Love,
Karen
1 comment:
Karen, I do read all of your blogs. I just have a hard time with writing back,but I do read them. I am either very busy, or not busy enough with Christmas just a week away. Dad and I went to see the stake for our temple recommend interview at 8:00 this morning. It is snowing and so beautiful outside. I have a aterriblel cold again. I thought I had kicked it to hates and back, but it found me again. Not msuch news, but I too am greatful for all my blessings, 6 wonderful children. We, all of us, need to be forgiving and love one another even with our faults. Knock down the walls of biterness and love each other. The season will be so much more loving and Christlike in our attitude if we do. I am telling you to call Andrew and invite hin over for Christmas. he needs you more now, more than ever. Be forgiving. Have a good day. Love, Mom
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