Cherokee Indian youth's rite of Passage

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 himalone. He is required to sit on a stump the whole night and not removethe 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 aMAN. He cannot tell the other boys of this experience, because each ladmust 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 satstoically, 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 thestump 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, God is watching over us, sitting on the stump beside us. When trouble comes, all we have to do is reach out toHim. If you liked this story, pass it on. If not, you took off yourblindfold before dawn.

Moral of the story: Just because you can't see God, doesn't mean He is not there.
'For we walk by faith, not by sight.'