Food for Thought

Protection

The early American Indians had a unique practice of

training young braves. On the night of a boy's thirteenth

birthday, after learning hunting, scouting, and fishing skills,

he was put to one final test. He was placed in a dense forest

to spend the entire night alone. Until then, he had never

been away from the security of the family and the tribe. But

on this night, he was blindfolded and taken several miles

away. When he took off the blindfold, he was in the middle

of a thick woods and he was terrified! Every time a twig

snapped, he visualized a wild animal ready to pounce. After

what seemed like an eternity, dawn broke and the first rays

of sunlight entered the interior of the forest. Looking

around, the boy saw flowers, trees, and the outline of the

path. Then, to his utter astonishment, he beheld the figure

of a man standing just a few feet away, armed with a bow

and arrow. It was his father. He had been there all night

long.

Our Daily Bread