Embracing Family
As the school year is well underway, many kids are commenting about their homeroom teachers and how nice they are. It’s awesome to hear so many kids say that they have the best teacher in the school!
A couple weeks ago, we all had an unexpected substitute teacher, Kumu Lala. This substitute teacher was not welcomed by most of us. Many even dismissed the fact that she was coming for a few days.
Regardless of whether we wanted her or not, she came. Wow, did she have a temper!
While we were all lamenting her presence, a strange thing happened. It was reminiscent of COVID-19, whereby a very difficult situation that brought suffering to so many also brought blessings in disguise.
As we started to prepare our home for this substitute teacher, we noticed something amazing happening in our neighborhood:
- Texts started coming in: “I finished preparing my yard. Do you need help?” “If you lose power, you can come to my house because I have a generator.” Friends and family from the mainland started reaching out to see if we were OK.
- Neighbors were out on the street chatting with other neighbors.
- Five neighbors went to check on our “neighborhood tutu,” who is 96, lives alone and whose house always floods
- The Rotary Club encouraged everyone to check in with family, friends, neighbors, older people, other club members and our houseless neighbors to make sure they were OK.
- Churches prayed for everyone’s safety.
- The sky turned pink, and the air seemed green around us.
- Red Cross volunteers were ready. Shelters opened.
As the rain came and the wind roared, fear gripped many. We couldn’t help but think of the Gospel scene after Jesus fed the thousands and went up the mountain to pray while the apostles took the boat to go to Bethsaida ahead of him. The apostles encountered a storm at sea and feared they would die. Jesus walked toward them on the water and said, “Take courage, it is I, do not be afraid!” (Mk 6:50).
After Kumu Lala left the islands, she continued to teach, even in her absence. We learned lessons of kindness, compassion and selflessness. We learned to be attentive to those around us or those in greater need.
Our daughter, who works at a deli, mentioned that the line snaked out the door and several stores down, but people patiently waited without complaining. They were grateful there was a place with power, food, Wi-Fi and air conditioning!
Neighbors continued to check on neighbors. People who had electricity opened their homes to those who did not yet have power. People delivered meals to others whose food had gone bad due to lack of refrigeration.
The lessons of kindness, compassion, generosity and reaching out to others in need will continue to inspire us long after Kumu Lala. If we have not yet pondered the lessons learned from Kumu Lala, take a few moments to reflect. We will inevitably discover countless blessings in disguise.
We can learn from her, so that when the next substitute teacher shows up in our lives (whether it is a storm, a death in the family, a lost job, a divorce, an illness or other suffering), we will be prepared to share our knowledge and be eager to discover new blessings in disguise as we face whatever challenges come our way.
Questions or prayer requests? Please email Sarah and David at Success@EmbraceFamilyLearning.com. We would be honored to lift you in prayer and respond. To those who have asked for prayers, please know that we continue to lift you up in prayer.