May 30 Daily Feast, Elder's Meditation, THINK on THESE THING

May 30 - Daily Feast

When we have lived a long time with trouble we learn to recognize it a long way off. Sometimes it hides behind the look of serenity, sometimes in laughter - but nearly always in the way a person jokes. It takes some understanding, some go li s di yi, some recognition or reckoning, to sense the pain that is so well hidden. In such cases, it often takes one to know one. We need each other. This unusual ability to see and form a kinship with another person makes us friends and loving partners. We have to be true to ourselves, to keep a part of the innermost heart sacred. A friend knows and respects in us what he, himself, must have as well.

~ I speak straight and do not wish to deceive or be deceived. ~

COCHISE

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

Elder's Meditation of the Day May 30

"Power comes and goes. It can vanish in the twinkling of an eye, like smoke dissolving in the air."

Archie Fire Lame Deer, LAKOTA

The East, South, West and North are the powers of the four directions. The Creator makes these powers available to do things. We pray to the Creator to give us the power to do these things. Often, we are given these powers for a while, then these powers disappear. Power is given and taken from us by the Great Spirit, the source of power. During the time we have this power, we should be responsible and use the power in a good way. Many good things can be accomplished when we realize where this power really comes from.

Great Spirit, today, show me how to use Your power.

'THINK on THESE THINGS'
By Joyce Sequichie Hifler

The truly humble are those who have no thought of using other people to their own avail. They are aware that any success they may attain comes not entirely from their own intelligence and abilities, but because somewhere along the way they have acknowledged how inadequate they are alone.

The day of the self-sufficient person has never truly been. Without other people, without a sense of humility, success is lost to the overambitious.

English critic John Ruskin once said that the first test of a truly great person is humility.

There is greatness and sincerity when we can say to ourselves that we are only human and except for the grace of God we would even lack those qualities. We realize that the world owes us nothing, and no person owes us anything but love. It is not simply our job to serve ourselves, but it is our duty to serve others.

Humility is one of the finest qualities found in human nature. Without it we are nothing but a brash machine, with it we are warm and kind and always respected.

If we want to be friends to others, we must meet them on their level. This isn't to say we have to be the type they are, but understand them and realize that it is a good thing that we are not all alike. This is the beauty of humanity, the variations that keep the human race from being monotonous.

And there is nothing sweeter to the human ear than to hear someone talk its language. Great persons have realized this and have made themselves adaptable to the little and to the big, to the learned and to the unschooled, in order to be more widely understood.

Who knew better than the Wise Master the importance of meeting others on their own level? The Master looked into the lives of every type of person and saw many changes that needed to be made, but also saw much to love and to waken. And in this gentleness and compassion the Wise Master could meet us all and speak our languages, then to be understood and followed.

We live in such narrow existence's when we cannot communicate with anyone except those on our own level of thought and action. And if we only have one level on which to operate, there's danger of it becoming a shelf for immovable objects.

Donadagahv’i
Tawodi Unega
( White Hawk )

This is my new Cherokee Name within the Bird Clan
By my Udo ( Brother ) Mashu:

Tawodi Unega ( White Hawk )

This is going to be My true and traditional name. It will not be official, however, until I can have the ceremony for it.

May The Creator walk with you.