It's been bugging the living DAYLIGHTS out of me...

Yesterday at a meeting, one lady made the comment:

"I really enjoyed the Hawai'ian music yesterday."

Now...my brother Hartman, my man Taylor and I were standing there. We knew she meant the song that my family and I sang. It's kool, you know? She may have innocently mistook us for Hawai'ians because Taj, and his wife Wati are from Hawai'i. Hearing this obvious mistake, another member tried to correct her and told her,

"They're not Hawai'ian. They're Samoan."

I appreciated the gesture because the presence of knowledge is the absence of ignorance and vice versa. She then replied,

"Oh you know, Hawai'ian/Samoan, I don't know."

That's where it bugged me. In fact, I was offended.

The other member then said,

"You shouldn't confuse them. How would you like it if someone called you Vietnamese?"

to which she replied,

"It doesn't matter. We're all from the same *mumbling*"

I smiled but inside, I was offended BIG TIME. I didn't approach her because I can TELL from her body language that we she wasn't educated enough to hear me out. It doesn't matter what ethnicity she was because that's besides the fact. I will mention though that many people from her ethnic background would be VERY offended if someone else DID call them something other than what they really were.

So what...?

Here's the thing. Hawai'ians, Samoans, Tongans, Fijians, Maori and Tahitians aren't all that far apart. Her ignorance held some kind of "light", but it was a much faded light. I'm not offended that she mistook us for Hawai'ians. I'm offended by the fact that she wasn't willing to be educated and rid herself of that ignorance. She was willing to stay in her contentment in being "right" and her reasoning was "well, you know what I mean."

Cute.

Lesson? Ignorance sat there with arms crossed. If my cousins were there, they would've been more than happy to tell her off and smack her a few as well.

She is one of MANY people who keep that light switch labeled "Knowledge", turned off. This is one of the MANY times that people have refused to distinguish Polynesian people. What's even more whack is how outsiders try to school ME on where I COME FROM. Really?

One day, my people will be more than just football players, wrestlers, rappers and security guards. And when we reach that point, you'll have NO CHOICE but to acknowledge.

I never think this, but that day I knew I was better than she was and better than everyone else who tried to drag me into their influence.

Don't get it twisted, I have nothing against her or her people. I just have beef against ignorance and stupid people.

okay...i'm going to stop writing before i start up a revolution, lol.

I've been blessed beyond measure by being able to meet people everywhere I've gone.

People have enriched my life in ways that could NEVER be explained and I praise God for each divine appointment.

In my life's span, I've had many friends...but only a few I've ever allowed myself to call my "best friend"(s) and well, tonight it was made clear that I lost another one. Reading those words and feeling those feelings just...killed me. At the same time, I'd rather have the truth with a knife than being slowly poisoned with lies.

Now, don't get it twisted. Nothing went BAD-it's just never easy to lose anyone. Granted we're still friends, but nowhere near where we once were.

I left that Facebook piece for a while because well, I just didn't wanna be there. It gets too congested and I needed to free myself of that space.

I'm writing here because I know no one comes here :) Well, that and I feel safe writing here. I'm sure one way or another someone may or may not see this and try to start up a ruckus about who it was and why the this and blah blah blah. But I don't really care.

I'm finding out more and more that I'm not all that great with keeping friends around, even though I seem to have a lot of them.

Whose fault? Pssh - that's irrelevant. That kind of talk just pulls people away from each other and I ain't about to point fingers. For every ONE finger you point, there are at least 4 pointing right back at you...or maybe 3 because the thumb kinda points towards the torso area or the toes. Anyway...yeah.

All right, well, it is Sabbath and a day of rest and I should go and seize that rest. Good night.

As I came to do my morning devotion, it's as if this was specifically written for me. Praise God.

****

Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost. Rom. 15:13.

At times a deep sense of our unworthiness will send a thrill of terror through the soul; but this is no evidence that God has changed toward us, or we toward God. . . . We should by faith grasp the hand of Christ, and trust Him as fully in the darkness as in the light.

Satan may whisper, "You are too great a sinner for Christ to save." While you acknowledge that you are indeed sinful and unworthy, you may meet the tempter with the cry, "By virtue of the atonement, I claim Christ as my Saviour. I trust not to my own merits, but to the precious blood of Jesus, which cleanses me. This moment I hang my helpless soul on Christ." The Christian life must be a life of constant, living faith. An unyielding trust, a firm reliance upon Christ, will bring peace and assurance to the soul. . . .

Every obstacle, every internal foe, only increases your need of Christ. He came to take away the heart of stone, and give you a heart of flesh. Look to Him for special grace to overcome your peculiar faults. When assailed by temptation, steadfastly resist the evil promptings; say to your soul, "How can I dishonor my Redeemer? I have given myself to Christ; I cannot do the works of Satan." Cry to the dear Saviour for help to sacrifice every idol, and to put away every darling sin. Let the eye of faith see Jesus standing before the Father's throne, presenting His wounded hands as He pleads for you. Believe that strength comes to you through your precious Saviour.

By faith look upon the crowns laid up for those who shall overcome; listen to the exultant song of the redeemed, Worthy, worthy is the Lamb that was slain and hast redeemed us to God! Endeavor to regard these scenes as real. Stephen, the first Christian martyr, in his terrible conflict with principalities and powers, and spiritual wickedness in high places, exclaimed, "Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of man standing on the right hand of God." The Saviour of the world was revealed to him as looking down from heaven upon him with the deepest interest; and the glorious light of Christ's countenance shone upon Stephen with such brightness that even his enemies saw his face shine like the face of an angel.

If we would permit our minds to dwell more upon Christ and the heavenly world, we should find a powerful stimulus and support in fighting the battles of the Lord. Pride and love of the world will lose their power as we contemplate the glories of that better land so soon to be our home. Beside the loveliness of Christ, all earthly attractions will seem of little worth (Review and Herald, Nov. 15, 1887).

From Lift Him Up - Page 280