Guest Author - Phyllis Doyle Burns
I first read this story when my dear friend, Kimi , sent it to me. It is a beautiful and touching story and I put a copy of it in my personal "Book of Treasures".
Native American Christmas Story
Gather round children and let us teach you a song that helps us to remember the sacred things of our Grandfather and the reasons that He came to walk our Land, clothed in Red Dirt. We are excited to learn the things He accomplished for us, among us, and through us. We are most excited that all the ways we have walked before now pointed us to this moment, when we mere humans would be able to walk as sons of the Most Holy One.
On the First day of Christmas, Grandfather gave to me... an Eagle sitting on a cedar tree. (Remember children, the eagle climbs the highest and takes our prayers to the High places, and the eagle is Jesus, the One who was able also to climb to the heavenlies once and for all, to take our prayers, He is the Intercessor for all men.
On the second day of Christmas, Grandfather gave to me two wise owls (Remember children that the owls represent both death and sacred messages from the Holy places… and in this song they represent the Old Testament and the New laws that brought death and mercy that brought life and spiritual wisdom).
On the third day of Christmas, Grandfather gave to me three sacred drums (for the drums beat out the sound of our Mother Earth while we pray to the Grandfather.. so as you hear them beat, remember we now know that there is
faith, hope and love in The Father, Son and the Holy Spirit).
On the fourth day of Christmas, Grandfather gave to me four talking feathers (for the feathers remind us that Matthew, Mark, Luke and John were given the talking feather by the Grandfather Himself, to tell His story to us all).
On the fifth day of Christmas, Grandfather gave to me five prayer ties (for we must remember that the law did not vanish and though we live by grace, there is a law to be followed and we humbly submit to that law, in offering our prayers to the Holy One).
On the sixth day of Christmas, Grandfather gave to me six hawks a laying (For we celebrate the creation of our mother earth, and thank Him for giving us all life, through our prayers, often using the feathers of this creature to smudge ourselves in preparation of that prayer time).
On the seventh day of Christmas, Grandfather gave to me seven stones for sweat lodge (For we must remember the gifts of the Spirit are seven fold, and we learn how to walk in these gifts through our fear and awe of our God, we do this praying in our lodges).
On the eighth day of Christmas, Grandfather gave to me eight great buffalo (For we want to remember the beatitudes, the blessings Jesus promised to come to His people. The buffalo represent His provision for our health, our very existence, as did the blessings He invoked on the people, the meek, those who weep, the poor, all people have provision in Him).
On the ninth day of Christmas, Grandfather gave to me nine precious elders (For as we sit at the feet of our elders we hear how we can walk in the fruits of the Holy Spirit, they have always taught these truths, we just didn't know that they were the same truths taught by the talking leaves the white men brought to us).
On the tenth day of Christmas, Grandfather gave to me ten eagle dancers (For our eagle dancers dance for the people, to protect the people, to keep the people in wholeness, and wellness.. as the ten commandments were also set to keep the people whole, to protect them from their own evil thoughts).
On the eleventh day of Christmas, Grandfather gave to me eleven braids of sweet grass (For as we send the smell of sweet grass to the heavenlies, it invites those of the realm of the Grandfather, to enter into our world to help us - in this we remember the faithful eleven who stood ready to help our Savior, ready to do His will and work, so it is with those we invite to help us, if sent by Jesus).
On the twelfth day of Christmas, Grandfather gave to me twelve drummers singing (For the drums He gave on the third day can not help us to pray if they do not have four drummers each to beat out the heartbeat of the earth and its people to our God and when natives are on the drum, we call it singing, because it is much more than just drumming).
Merry Christmas to all my relations!
*******
(Permission to reprint this story was kindly given by Barbara Lupien at:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/11-11/message/40561?l=1
Thank you, Barbi!)
*******
Do not forget to pick up your 2009 calendars! Happy New Year to all!
, , ,
