Cherokee Legend

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.> >
Work for the Lord, the pay isn't much but the rewards are> great and the retirement is out of this world!!!