Do you know the legend of the Cherokee Indian youth's rite of Passage? His father takes him into the forest, blindfolds him and leaves him alone. He is required to sit on a stump the whole night and not remove the blindfold until the rays of the morning sun shine through it. He cannot cry out for help to anyone. Once he survives the night, he is a MAN. He cannot tell the other boys of this experience, because each lad must come into manhood on his own. The boy is naturally terrified. He can hear all kinds of noises. Wild beasts must surely be all around him. Maybe even some human might do him harm. The wind blew the grass and earth, and shook his stump, but he sat stoically, never removing the blindfold. It would be the only way he could become a man! Finally, after a horrific night the sun appeared and he removed his blindfold. It was then that he discovered his father sitting on the stump next to him. He had been at watch the entire night, protecting his son from harm. We, too, are never alone. Even when we don't know it, God is watching over us, sitting on the stump beside us. When trouble comes, all we have to do is reach out to Him.







Let's be more aware of all the choices, situations, twists and turns that brought us to this place right here and now. They May Be Miracles.



Showing posts with label barracuda. Show all posts
Showing posts with label barracuda. Show all posts

Saturday, March 27, 2010

" T H I S B I G ! ! ! ! "

Well, I know this isn't going to be the BIGGEST fish you ever saw somebody catch, but I have to post a picture of one of the biggest fish I ever caught in order to tell my "little miracle" story.   So here is a picture of the barracuda I caught in Ft. Lauderdale one time, oh, maybe 8 years ago or so:

That was me with said fish and "fishing expert" on the charterred boat (my husband took the picture).  I don't think we ever wrote down the actual size, but it was a pretty nice barracuda on a day that nothing else bit.  When I caught this barracuda I found out that they are somewhat dangerous and have been known to attack humans.  Interesting. 

So about a year before this my husband and I were snorkling in Key Largo (I think, or one of the Keys).  It was really an amazing spot that they took us to, and we saw such beautiful and colorful underwater plants and fish.  One of the "coolest" (I thought) things we saw that was swimming around with us was a barracuda!  My husband and I both kept pointing at it as it swam around and about us.  He asked when we got back on the boat if I had seen the barracuda and I had said yes, but I don't recall a conversation about feeling unsafe or anything.  You'll have to excuse my ignorance...I did not grow up near or around an ocean.  How would I have known?  Of course I had heard of barracudas...seen pictures of them...probably at one time had heard they could be dangerous...but anyone who knows me knows that facts usually go in one ear and out the other...I'm not the person you want on your "Trivial Persuit" team. 

So my "little miracle" story today is that although I was ignorant about how dangerous a barracuda could be, my husband and I survived our snorkling adventure that year unscathed.  He is usually pretty good in a stressful situation like that and so didn't do anything crazy to provoke the fish.  However, had I known at the time that it likes to eat humans, I may have done something somewhat perhaps idiotic causing it to attack.
Guess the miracle here being that God gives you the information you need at the time you need it...and not before. 

Incidently, there was another little "coincidence" that occurred during the fishing expedition that I started this post with.  When we went to charter the boat and mentioned that we were from Ohio, one of the owners of the charter company asked us about where in Ohio.  We both explained where each of us was from and after a short discussion I found out that this guy had graduated from the same high school as I had, only a few years before.  We did not know each other (strangely, since it is a private high school with about 30 to 35 people per class), but he remembered my older sister.  Anyway...there was no other significance to that except the coincidence...but I still think it's cool the way the earth is so big...and yet...so small.  I do think God has a hand in directing our paths so that we can have those little experiences just to help make us aware of our "connectedness" to one another. 

Have you ever been in a completely different State, Country, or Continent and run into someone you knew - or sometimes just as good - someone who lives near you but you had never met until you struck up a conversation with them while at this vacation spot?  Seems like it happens a lot...just wondering what other peoples' experiences have been.

Enjoy the rest of your weekend and God Bless all those who read here!  :-)
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