May 17 Daily Feast, Elder’s Meditation, THINK on THESE THING

Friday
Tsunagilosti

2013

May 17 - Daily Feast

It is useless to put a warped container inside a good one in hopes of straightening it. It only spoils the good one. The stuff they are made of has to be workable if either is to be saved. We can be affected, even encouraged by outside influences, but real change is from the inside. It is possible to wait a long time for a situation to change so that we can change. It won't happen. We have to change first - our thoughts, our attitudes, and very often, our reasons. If we are ever to be totally free of, u tso a se di, the Cherokee expression for miserable or unhappy circumstances, we will have to remold our own human spirit to the will of the Great Spirit. It is the only help that is not based on money or dependency on someone else who is equally weak.

~ Great Spirit, once more behold me on earth and learn to hear my feeble voice. ~

BLACK ELK

'A Cherokee Feast of Days', by Joyce Sequichie Hifler

Elder's Meditation of the Day May 17

"If the Great Spirit wanted men to stay in one place He would make the world stand still; but He made it to always change..."

Chief Flying Hawk, OGLALA SIOUX

The Elders tell us change occurs in two directions. They say, "That which is built is constantly being destroyed; that which is loose is being used to build the New." In other words, change is constantly going on. Many times we hear people say, "I hate change." Does it make sense that the Great Spirit would design people to hate it? The Great Spirit designed people with change abilities such as visioning, imagery and imagination. Maybe we need to learn to use these tools and then we'll look forward to change.

Great Spirit, today, let me see the harmony of Yours, truly changing world.

'THINK on THESE THINGS'
By Joyce Sequichie Hifler

We know without being told when we have acted unkindly or behaved unjustly toward another. Intolerance, whether it is personal superiority or religious bigotry, serves only to isolate us from the greatest joy in life - the sharing of ideals and happiness and friendship.

We must be patient and fair toward anyone whose opinions differ from our own. There is a much better chance of convincing those whom we hope to influence by being an example rather than a voice.

It is much easier to be led than to be pushed, and not so hard to be tolerant when we recognize within ourselves the reasons we are not always tolerant.

It sometimes becomes habitual to be dissatisfied with everything we see others do. We don't take time to understand and know the basis of their actions. We often fall short of listening to them long enough to understand, and their next words or actions may explain it.

We cannot afford to be intolerant, because no matter how good our ideas are, there is always a better one.