December 13 Elder’s Meditation, THINK on THESE THING

December 13 - Daily Feast

If there is no one else in the whole world around you, celebrate the season. Never say there is no use in decorating for Christmas when you are alone. But it is the best of reasons - you. You are as important to the Lord as anyone else on earth. If you have to, buy and gift wrap your own present and put it under the tree. Don't wait for someone else to guess what you want - you do it. Keep the savory aromas of home cooking in your own kitchen, set the table and eat from a China plate. This is a special time, so be a special part of it - music and all. If you are a joy to be with, you won't be alone.

~ Have I any apology to make for loving the Indians? The Indians have always loved me. ~

GEORGE CATLIN - ARTIST

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

Elder's Meditation of the Day - December 13

"In our language there is no word to say inferior or superiority or equality because we are equal; it's a known fact. But life has become very complicated since the newcomers came here. And how does your spirit react to it?. It's painful. You have to be strong to walk through the storm. I know I'm a bridge between two worlds. All I ask is for people to wash their feet before they try to walk on me."

Alanis Obomsawin, ABENAKI

For native people who speak their language, English can be very confusing. Many times you cannot express in English the true meaning of Indian words. When we hear something in English we sometimes react or our spirit reacts. Sometimes we need to use English words out of order to express our true meanings. We need to be patient and pray. Living in two worlds can be difficult. Life is painful sometimes. The pain of life is where the lessons are learned.

Creator, let me learn the lessons You have taught my people.

'THINK on THESE THINGS'
By Joyce Sequichie Hifler

Others don't seem to be interested in our excuses - they merely want performance. Alibis for lack of service, lack of ability to give a full measure of trust make a bad servant. And we are all servants, serving each other in one way or another.

It is an unhappy one who is not depended upon for something. There is great satisfaction in being needed, even to the point of doing more than one is capable of.

English divine Sidney Smith once wrote, "Try to make at least one person happy every day, and then in ten years you may have made three thousand, six hundred and fifty persons happy, or brightened a small town by your contribution to the fund of general enjoyment."

We cannot move a step upon this earth without finding someone to serve. And as we serve each day, we never stop to consider how many we've made happy; but it should be very vivid in our minds how many we've made unhappy.