Wednesday, April 2, 2008

A BEAUTIFUL THING


The Kalaupapa Peninsula where Hawaii isolated her leprosy patients.

In February 2002 I traveled with my daughter and a friend to Hawaii. On my first morning in Honolulu, I attended the Kawaiahao historic church. The windows were open. There were no screens and a balmy breeze carried the lovely floral smells indoors. Just outside the windows, parrots chattered and palm trees clattered. A choir began singing in the balcony – in Hawaiian and it was so heavenly – I began to cry. The visiting pastor stood and this is what he said.

It is a beautiful day and we have begun in a beautiful way.
We are called to be here.
We are called to do a beautiful thing.
We are called to worship.


I couldn’t stop crying. I had come to Hawaii to do research for Healing Water. And this is how my trip began - with this blessing. I felt like God was talking to me – telling me I was called to do a beautiful thing. Promising beautiful things to grow out of this story.

I did not know then that my book would be called Healing Water. This book has gone through many revisions and numerous titles. The right title didn’t come until certain aspects of the story found their proper telling.

Wai is the Hawaiian word for water. This church where I felt God’s blessing on my writing is called Ka Wai a Ha`o (The Water of Ha`o) because there was a fountain on this spot that was once mostly a dry dust bowl. Ha`o was a High Cheifess who came here often.

Recently I found my notes from this day. And just below the thoughts above I also found these words.

Be straight with God.
Be right with your neighbor.
Seek after truth.


I sought long and hard for the truth of the story found within Healing Water’s pages. It is about one boy’s struggle to be right with his neighbor. In many ways it is about Hawaii’s struggle to be right with its leprosy patients. And ultimately it is about each of us and our response to disease, injustice, and betrayal.

We are called to do a beautiful thing.

7 comments:

  1. Wow, Joyce! What a breath-taking post! I know what it is to feel moved, to feel led by God to some greater revelation or inspiration. Thanks for sharing these beautiful pieces of your journey.

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  2. Loved this post!!! Thanks for letting us have a glimpse of what you are called to do.

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  3. Thanks to Amy Lizzy and Ghost Girl.

    Mary Ann, am I going to see you soon?!

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  4. OOh, yes! I'll see you on Friday!!! Yay!!!

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  5. Hey Joyce-
    AM writing from Tuscaloosa, Al and thought I'd check out your blog before getting on the road (don't you wish you could surf the internet while driving? One day...) ANyway, this post is beutiful. Since several of my e-mails got lost in transition, I'm not sure if I told you that the reason I haven't blogged about Healing Water yet is my daughter's friend (who lives in Hawaii) took the book back to Grove City. I hope to get it back from her in a few week and then will blog about it.
    Tell me again, how do I add my picture or book cover to this post? Carol

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  6. Hey Joyce-
    AM writing from Tuscaloosa, Al and thought I'd check out your blog before getting on the road (don't you wish you could surf the internet while driving? One day...) ANyway, this post is beutiful. Since several of my e-mails got lost in transition, I'm not sure if I told you that the reason I haven't blogged about Healing Water yet is my daughter's friend (who lives in Hawaii) took the book back to Grove City. I hope to get it back from her in a few week and then will blog about it.
    Tell me again, how do I add my picture or book cover to this post? Carol

    ReplyDelete
  7. Hey Joyce-
    AM writing from Tuscaloosa, Al and thought I'd check out your blog before getting on the road (don't you wish you could surf the internet while driving? One day...) ANyway, this post is beutiful. Since several of my e-mails got lost in transition, I'm not sure if I told you that the reason I haven't blogged about Healing Water yet is my daughter's friend (who lives in Hawaii) took the book back to Grove City. I hope to get it back from her in a few week and then will blog about it.
    Tell me again, how do I add my picture or book cover to this post? Carol

    ReplyDelete