February 9 Daily Feast, Elder’s Meditation, THINK on THESE THING

February 9 - Daily Feast

To some, power is domination, ruling anything defenseless. But that isn't power, it is abuse, and abuse is cowardly. Abuse takes advantage where it can, always pretending to be the victim, but looking for the opportunity to overpower. Forget the idea that power is from the world. Whole worlds have been changed in minutes. Power that was bold and bragging can suddenly be a whimper. Empires have crashed and those that caused so much misery have deflated like balloons. Real power is not nigvnhdiha, which is understood by the Cherokee to be put on. It is from an inner source, characteristically calm, like a great river that flows smoothly but drives huge cities with energy. A single drop of water seems powerless and takes the way of least resistance, but joined to all the others, it has force. One person may seem inadequate to change anything, but united with others, can change anything.

~ The red man must leave the land of his youth and find a new home in the far west.

SHABONEE, 1827

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

Elder's Meditation of the Day - February 9

"It can be 100 degrees in the shade one afternoon and suddenly there comes a storm with hailstones as big as golf balls, the prairie is all white and your teeth chatter. That's good-a reminder that you are just a small particle of nature, not so powerful as you think."

Lame Deer, LAKOTA

No event, no relationship, no joy, no sadness, no situation ever stays the same. Every setback is only temporary. Even setbacks change. Why? Because the Great Spirit designed the world to be constantly changing. We are not the center of the universe, we are but a small part. The whole is constantly changing, and we as humans are constantly participating in the change. We have two choices, to resist change or participate in the change. Every change can be resisted, and every change can be made in cooperation. What will I choose today, resistance or cooperation?

Great Spirit, teach me to make cooperative changes.

'THINK on THESE THINGS'
By Joyce Sequichie Hifler

To have the desire to quit in the face of despair is not a new story. As long as time, people have wanted to give up when something hinders their progress. But such adversity is sometimes the right time for people to become acquainted with themselves.

It has been written that a smooth sea does not make a skillful mariner. The storms of human life, like those of the seas, awaken us to sharpening our abilities and strengthening us to overcome these present storms to the point where we seldom have to face them again. Most of living is a lesson, and the sooner we learn to study and develop the sooner we are rid of the teacher.

But in the words of Jeremy Taylor, "It is impossible for that man to despair who remembers that his Helper is omnipotent." And it is impossible for people not to progress if they acknowledge their Helper in the most minute details of their lives.

Prepared for the worst? Forget it! Only worry prepares for the worst. If problems come to you, meet them with courage when they arrive. And worry has never produced courage. Faith produces courage, and keeps us from crossing all those unnecessary bridges. In fact, we cross bridges that have never been in existence, and have no strength except that which we give them by constant preparation for something that isn't good.

Promise yourself to cross no bridges this day except those you find immediately before you. And nine times out of ten they will lead only to happiness.