Ou te ala sa'ili

How many of us get up every morning and the first thing we do is praise God? Or seek Him? Often time, the first thing I do is hit the snooze button and go back to sleep. And when I finally get up, our routine is so hectic that I don't get a chance to just be still, as the psalmist says, and praise my Lord for giving me a new day.

One of my favorite worship songs right now is "Oute ala sa'ili" sung by Elijah Tavai. That song has a deep resonance with me. I know my family knows this because its on constant repeat on the IPOD in our living room. The chords, the arrangement, the slack key guitar, the vocals, all of it is just perfect. But what really resonates with me are the words. It starts of saying, and I'll translate, "I wake up seeking you, I wake up longing for you my God." "Ou te ala sa'ili ia te oe lo'u Ali'i, ou te ala naunau ia te oe lou Atua". Simple, yet majestic words. Words of a soul that yearns for his Lord. And when does this happen? When he wakes up. That must mean that he thinks of the Lord even in his sleep if he wakes up seeking him. What a beautiful testimony. He's saying that Christ is not a spot on his schedule, not an appointment to be kept, not an alloted time slot on the calendar. Christ is the center of his life because he begins everyday seeking him.

How many of us take the time out to thank God for the sun that rises every morning? Could you imagine a world without the sun? Yet, we take it for granted everyday that it will be there. In these uncertain times, with our country at war, with our financial system in a mess, and now with the threat of a pandemic, it is even more important to set our priorities. And what should be more important than seeking God in our lives first and foremost.

The second verse of the song says that I prepare my heart heart for your arrival, that I get ready always for you my Lord. May you be praised above all things. Your glory I do. "Ou te tapenapena mo lou afio mai i nei, ou te sauniuni pea mo oe lo'u Matai, Ia vi'ia Oe i mea uma, O lou vi'iga ou te faia". What a testimony. What a mindset, a way of life.

I will end with a story I read in a magazine. It's about a college professor that did an experiment. He brought a pound of large rocks, a pound of pebbles and a pound of sand. He also brought a glass jar. He challenged his class to fit all those items in the jar. After trying unsuccessfully to put the items in, the students told him they didn't fit. The jar was too small. The professor assured them that there is a way, and that all the items fit in there. After trying some more, the class gave up. The professor marched to the front and proceeded to put the large rocks in first. That filled the jar. Then he poured the pebbles in. The pebbles fell between the cracks of the big rocks. And with amazement, the students saw the professor pour in the sand last and the tiny particles found a place among the rocks and pebbles. The professor asked the class what the secret was. Someone in the back yelled, "its the order." The professor smiled. His job was done.

I think of that story every time I have to prioritize my life. Make sure you put the big rocks in first. Everything else will fall in place. They will find their way in the cracks and crevices of the big rocks. And there's no bigger rock in our life than our relationship with God. Then my family. And one of the most important parts of your relationship with God is to constantly seek out His will for your life. You can begin everyday doing that. Seek God the first thing in the morning. Ou te ala sa'ili...