Guiding us in life. "Our destiny is defined" we hear people say. That we have no choice with what happens to us. Well, this is a good question or idea and this entry is to give thought toward it. For more than two decade I have been living the beliefs of the American Indian. No this does not conflict with the belief of Christianity. The basic belief of the followings of beliefs like "Seven Arrows" (Sioux) is "Self-harmony, Harmony with others, and Environment Harmony. The Almighty is still there but guiding the spirit in different ways. Well, twice I have cut my ponytail when I have discovered a period of extreme lost of harmony and recently I met a wonderful women whom I seem to connect with. I knew little about her except what information we exchanged on the web, but the magic was there.
As I approach the date of a long trip to meet this person, I discovered that she was a Canadian Native people (Ojibway). There are many natives living of the reservation and intergrated into society; but not all are near the beliefs that I have. These "apples" as they are called because their skin is red but their hearts are white; attempt to be accepted as whites. But we did also connect on that level. Yes one would think that a Christian should look for support on a Christian Level; but following Christ is not just Bible thumping.
We have met and began to share many interest like long walks in the woods, shared attitudes toward life and a harmony in living.
Now to get to the point of "Guiding me" or destiny. As I prepared to visited my new friend a few miles from her reserve, I looked for a publication on Ojibway which I had photocopied 10 or 12 years ago when I was working with natives at a crisis centre for violence. I found it and of course I would have to take the Video Cassette of Gray Owl which I had for several years. I thought would be fun to watch together.
As I approach the date of a long trip to meet this person, I discovered that she was a Canadian Native people (Ojibway). There are many natives living of the reservation and intergrated into society; but not all are near the beliefs that I have. These "apples" as they are called because their skin is red but their hearts are white; attempt to be accepted as whites. But we did also connect on that level. Yes one would think that a Christian should look for support on a Christian Level; but following Christ is not just Bible thumping.
We have met and began to share many interest like long walks in the woods, shared attitudes toward life and a harmony in living.
Now to get to the point of "Guiding me" or destiny. As I prepared to visited my new friend a few miles from her reserve, I looked for a publication on Ojibway which I had photocopied 10 or 12 years ago when I was working with natives at a crisis centre for violence. I found it and of course I would have to take the Video Cassette of Gray Owl which I had for several years. I thought would be fun to watch together.
It turns out that the Life of the character "Gray Owl" turned around her reserve of the small island of "Bear Island" and some of her cousins are descendant's of Gray Owl. I had always known that I would not be interest in meeting a native whom wanted a white man to get of the reserve. But as I discovered my friend, Dorty, I found that she was wanting in knowing her culture and spiritual beliefs. We seem to connect and I loved that Native Laugh. (There is a joke which whites donot understand. At a native bingo when someone begins laughing about something, everyone starts to laugh. Yes half of the bingo hall is laughing and not know "WHY?")
After her first visit here to my place, we went for a walk in the woods and I was surprised how her spirit (which natives believe are guided by their ancestors) was so alive. A wild bird came to within a foot of her and just sat on the tree and with turning head looked at her. Even during this walk we had a doe reply to a fawn danger call I had made. It was unbelievable.
Destiny... ?? Well, during the last years although I had continual to greet the morning; (a morning pray to thanks for life) I had not worked on my harmony. Now I was working in a new way. As a guide for a lost spirit toward her spirit life and also a renewal of my harmony.
Where we go is maybe our choice, but someone is setting the right tools in our path if we are going in a good way. So to day I am on the path toward a "Anishinabek" (A good person as the Ojibway call their equivalent of a Christian).
