Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
I ran across this story many years ago. It’s fitting anytime and especially when it’s the time of year to celebrate Father’s Day.
The rite of passage into adulthood for a Cherokee Indian boy is for his father to take him into the forest, blindfold him, and leave him alone. To pass the test, the boy is required to sit on a stump all night and not remove the blindfold until the morning sun shines through it.
He cannot cry out for help to anyone. If he survives the night, he is a man. He cannot tell the other boys of this experience, because each youngster must come into manhood on his own.
The boy is naturally terrified. Being in the dark and blindfolded, his mind plays tricks on him. As the wind blows the grass and trees, he hears all kinds of noises. He thinks wild animals must surely be all around him. But he must sit still, no matter what, and never remove the blindfold. This is the only way he can become a man.
Finally, after a long, fearful night, the sun appears and the boy removes his blindfold. Then, he discovers that he is not alone… his father is sitting next to him! Without the boy knowing, his father has been there the entire night protecting his son from anything that might cause harm.
Consider our heavenly Father. He is always with us . . . every day and every night, during the good times and the challenging times. Let’s not wait until the light of new day before we take off our blindfolds to see the great love and mercy that our heavenly Father has for each one of us!
Many blessings to you and your family!
Deacon Mark