A Coconut in Hawaii

By: Gabriel Ayoroa

I just finished the first week of my Discipleship Training School (DTS) with YWAM. There are 20 participants from 6 countries – China, USA, Chile, Ecuador, South Korea, and Paraguay. The focus of week one was on listening to God.

We had been learning through Steve (our speaker for the week) that God speaks to us in many different ways. One afternoon we had a 2-hour solo time to listen to God in silence & solitude. I had just learned that I would not have the work duty with my friends I was hoping to get so I was mad about that. Steve had also asked us to leave our phones behind. I was complaining and thinking this solo time was going to be boring.

I walked on the Kona campus and was happy to find a bench overlooking the ocean. As I sat down and slowed down I stopped complaining and started to feel peaceful. The ocean waves calmed me and I asked God to speak to me. I was staring at a flower on a tree and went over to get a closer look. On my way back to the bench I saw a coconut and began to kick it. I found another one that was partially open and began to peel off the outer layers. It was hard to peel off, and as I kept working at it I started to feel like God was going to speak to me through this coconut. Why have you hardened your heart?

I kept peeling and finally got to the centre, and after breaking it open with a stone I was amazed at the beauty of this white coconut. Your heart is beautiful. I want to use your heart to bless others.

I started my life being close to God. My parents were in YWAM and I grew up worshiping and loving God. But in my teens I turned away for a time. I remember hardening my heart. I also remember thinking that, according to the Bible, our hearts are evil. So we shouldn’t listen to our hearts. But as I sat there in that peaceful place, with the ocean calming me, looking at this beautiful coconut, I felt like God was saying something different. Your heart is white and beautiful like this coconut. Let me use your heart to bless others.

I ate the coconut. I don’t think I’ll forget what I experienced on that bench. I hope my story helps you remember that your heart is beautiful and that God wants to use it to bless others.