Monday, June 09, 2008

Where Is God When You Need Him?

Do you know the legend of the Cherokee Indian youth's rite of passage? His father takes him into the forest, blindfolds him and leaves him alone. He is required to sit on a stump the whole night and not remove the blindfold until the rays of the morning sun shine through it. He cannot cry out for help to anyone. Once he survives the night, he is a MAN.
He cannot tell the other boys of this experience because each lad must come into manhood on his own. The boy is naturally terrified. He can hear all kinds of noises. Wild beasts must surely be all around him. Maybe even some human might do him harm. The wind blew the grass and earth, and shook his stump, but he sat stoically, never removing the blindfold. It would be the only way he could become a man! Finally, after a horrific night, the sun appeared and he removed his blindfold. It was then that he discovered his father sitting on the stump next to him. He had been at watch the entire night, protecting his son from harm.
We, too, are never alone. Even when we don't know it, our Heavenly Father is watching over us, sitting on the stump beside us. When trouble comes, all we have to do is reach out to Him. If you liked this story, pass it on. If not, perhaps you took off your blindfold before dawn.
Moral of the Story: Just because you can't see God, doesn't mean He is not there.

5 comments:

  1. Anonymous12:16 AM

    ....yeah...yeah....a night is a night....I'm sitting in the shit for 55 days...when will He say: "It's enough!" ???

    ReplyDelete
  2. Jesus' pain got so bad that he said, "why did you abandon me, God?" Turns out he hadn't been abandoned. Sometimes your pain just blinds you to being able to see God standing right beside you. I'm very sorry you are hurting so much.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Anonymous5:16 PM

    i agree with the 1st guy only ive been here for 2 to 3 years in agony

    ReplyDelete
  4. That's why I prefer the Cherokee way of religion. It is based on things that are real, not imaginary.

    Our God is in nature here on earth, not in some fictional paradise.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Anonymous12:46 PM

    We all have our share of pain. Some, worse than others no doubt, but I believe if you hold on to faith and never quit praying, God does come to your rescue. Jesus and Mother Mary are always there, we just have to believe that and in that belief and faith lies our answer and our hope. God bless.
    Helena

    ReplyDelete