ALL RISE.
Reporter: EDWIN AHU WAS
PROUD TO WEAR THE ROBE OF A
CIRCUIT COURT JUDGE.
AFTER ALL, HE DESERVED IT.
HE WORKED HARD, PLAYED BY
THE RULES, AND WON.
AS AN ATHLETE, HE ALWAYS HAD
A FIERCE DESIRE TO WIN.
AND HE WAS SMART, SMART
ENOUGH TO CRUISE THROUGH
COLLEGE WITH LITTLE EFFORT.
HE EVEN GOT INTO LAW SCHOOL,
BUT THAT'S WHERE THINGS
CHANGED.
I CUT OUT A CLASS.
THE SAME I DID IN
UNDER-GRAD, THINKING I COULD
CARRY ON IN LAW SCHOOL.
Reporter: BUT HE
COULDN'T.
HE FLUNGED A CLASS, AND THE
SCHOOL THREATENED TO DISMISS
HIM.
EDWIN REFUSED TO ACCEPT
FAILURE AND CAME UP WITH A
PLAN.
I FIGURED ON A WAY HOW I
COULD GET THROUGH THESE
CLASSES.
AND I FOUND OUT SEVERAL
RULES AND PRINCIPLES I
NEEDED TO APPLY, AND IT
BECAME A GAME TO ME.
IF I KNOW THE GAME, IF I
KNOW THE RULES, I CAN PASS,
AND I DID.
Reporter: ELWIN
BELIEVED HE COULD APPLY THAT
SAME STRATEGY TO ANY AREA OF
LIFE AND SUCCEED.
HE EVEN MARRIED WHILE IN LAW
SCHOOL JUST TO PROVE IT.
EVERYONE SAID WE WERE TOO
YOUNG.
THE MORE PEOPLE TOLD ME I
COULDN'T DO IT, THAT IT
WOULDN'T BE SUCCESSFUL, THE
COMPETITIVE EDGE KICKED IN
AND I WAS OUT TO PROVE THEM
WRONG.
Reporter: THE DOUBLE
DIVORCED AFTER SEVEN YEARS
AND SHARED CUSTODY OF THEIR
6-YEAR-OLD SON, BRANDON.
ELWIN REFUSED TO ACCEPT ANY
BLAME FOR THE BROKEN
MARRIAGE.
IT'S FAILURE, BUT IT
WASN'T MY FAULT.
I PLAYED BY MY SET OF
RULES.
AND IT WAS HER -- MY
PERCEPTION AT THE TIME, IT
WAS BECAUSE OF WHAT SHE
FAILED TO DO THAT CREATED
THIS BREAKUP.
Reporter: ELWIN'S
PROFESSIONAL LIFE AS A
LITIGATOR WAS SOARING.
HIS DRIVE TO WIN MADE HIM A
POWERHOUSE IN THE
COURTROOM.
I LOVE TRIAL WORK.
TO SEE THE JURY COME TO A
DECISION THAT YOU HAD BEEN
ADVOCATING, EVEN THOUGH YOU
DIDN'T STAND A CHANCE
WALKING THROUGH THAT
COURTROOM.
Reporter: HIS SUCCESS
AS A LAWYER EVENTUALLY
LANDED HIM AN APPOINTMENT AS
A CIRCUIT COURT JUDGE.
HIS PERSONAL LIFE, ON THE
OTHER HAND, WAS A MESS.
HE HAD REMARRIED AND TO A
BLENDED FAMILY.
AND HE WAS DETERMINED TO
MAKE IT WORK HIS WAY.
I STEP IN, KNIGHT IN
SHINING ARMOR, SAVE THE DAY
FOR EVERYONE, PLAY BY MY
RULES.
Reporter: BUT THAT ONLY
CREATED TENSION.
TO MAKE THINGS WORSE, HE
DAMAGED HIS RELATIONSHIP
WITH HIS SON, BRANDON.
HERE I AM, A PERSON WHO
TRIED TO CREATE THE RULES
AND PLAY BY THE RULES, AND
EVEN THOUGH I DID, IS
FALLING APART.
IT WASN'T, LIKE, WHEN I GOT
THE "F" IN LAW SCHOOL.
I COULD COME BACK STRONGER.
THIS TIME I'M GETTING
ANOTHER "F," AND WHAT DO I
DO?
ELWIN DIVORCED AGAIN AND
MOVED IN WITH HIS PARENTS.
I REMEMBER MY DAD SAYING
TO ME ONE DAY, WHAT'S WRONG
WITH YOU, MAN?
WHAT DO YOU WANT?
AND YET YOU'RE LIVING AT
HOME AGAIN.
AND I JUST BEGAN WONDERING
WONDERING.
WHAT'S WRONG WITH THE
WORLD?
AND I COULDN'T PUT MY FINGER
ON IT.
Reporter: ONE
AFTERNOON, WHILE STUCK IN A
HONOLULU TRAGIC JAM, ELWIN
WAS LISTENING TO A RECORDED
CEREMONY A FRIEND HAD GIVEN
HIM.
HE LIKED THE MESSAGE SO
MUCH, HE DECIDED TO VISIT
THE CHURCH.
WHEN THE WORSHIP WAS
DONE, AS THE PASTOR STARTED
TO SPEAK, IT WAS AS IF THE
ROOM JUST EMPTIED, AND THERE
WAS NOBODY THERE.
IT WAS LIKE IT WAS JUST ME.
I THOUGHT, THIS IS INSANE.
Reporter: THE
EXPERIENCE STAYED WITH HIM,
SO HE WENT BACK.
HE STILL REMEMBERS WHAT THE
PASTOR SAID.
HE SAID GOD MAY HAVE
ORCHESTRATED EVERY MOMENT IN
YOUR LIFE FOR YOU TO BE HERE
TO RECEIVE THE FORGIVENESS
OF JESUS CHRIST.
WHOA!
THAT EXPLODED.
BECAUSE FOR THE VERY FIRST
TIME I CAME TO REALIZE THAT
IT WASN'T ANYONE ELSE WHO
WAS WRONG.
IT WAS ME.
THAT I NEEDED FORGIVENESS.
Reporter: ELWIN
REALIZED THAT FORGIVENESS
COMES THROUGH JESUS CHRIST.
HE ALSO FELT HE NEEDED TO
SET SOME THINGS RIGHT.
I NEEDED TO NOT ONLY
RECEIVE FORGIVENESS FROM THE
LORD, BUT TO GO AND ASK FOR
FORGIVENESS FROM MY TWO
EX-WIVES.
AND THAT WAS AN INTERESTING
JOURNEY.
Reporter: HE ALSO ASKED
HIS SON, BRANDON, TO FORGIVE
HIM.
BECAUSE HE FELT LIKE HE HAD
FAILED HIM AS A FATHER.
BUT ELWIN SAYS GOD HAD
ALREADY BEEN AT WORK IN
BRANDON'S HEART.
AND I CAN STILL HEAR HIS
VOICE.
HE SAID, I LOVE YOU.
ALL IS FORGIVEN.
LET'S START OVER.
AND TO ME, IF GOD CAN DO
THAT, THEN GOD CAN DO
ANYTHING.
Reporter: FOR TWO AND A
HALF YEARS, ELWIN CONTINUED
SERVING IN THE CIRCUIT
COURT.
HE REMARRIED.
AND HE AND HIS WIFE FELT IT
WAS TIME TO LEAVE THE
COURT.
AND TODAY HE PASTORS A
CHURCH WITH HIS SON,
BRANDON.
ONE OF THE BIGGEST THINGS
GOD HAS TOLD ME THROUGHOUT
THIS ENTIRE JOURNEY IS THAT
LIFE IS NOT ABOUT ME.
ABOUT THE PARADOX OF DYING
TO SELF BEFORE YOU CAN
LIVE.
THAT LED ME TO REALIZE THAT,
YOU KNOW, SUCCESS IS NOT
NECESSARILY ABOUT WHERE YOU
ARE, THE POSITION YOU HOLD,
THE MONEY YOU MAKE.
LIFE IS MORE ABOUT
SIGNIFICANCE AND HOW YOU CAN
CRIBILITCONTRIBUTE NOW TO
SOMEONE ELSE'S LIFE.
