Cherokee Legend

Submitted by Kyle Brooks

Do you know the legend of the Cherokee Indian youth's rite of passage? His father takes him intothe forest, blindfolds him and leaves himalone. He is required to sit on astump the whole night and not remove the blindfold until the rays of themorning sun shine through it. He cannot cry outfor help to anyone. Once he survives thenight, he is a MAN. He cannot tell the otherboys of this experience,because each lad must come into manhood on hisown. The boy is naturallyterrified. He can hear all kinds of noises. Wild beasts must surely beall around him. Maybe even some human might do him harm. The wind blew the grassand earth, and shook his stump, but he satstoically, never removing the blindfold. It wouldbe the only way he could become a man! Finally, after a horrificnight the sun appeared and he removed hisblindfold. It was then that hediscovered his father sitting on the stump next tohim. 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, there is Somebodywatching over us, sitting on the stump beside us. When trouble comes all we have to do is reach out to Him.