Lesson 178: The Man on the Stump

Kentucky Chaplain David Chaltas

The Cherokee have a legend of the rite of passage for their young boys reaching manhood. The legend states that the father takes his child deep into the forest and then blindfolds him. He places him on a stump and speaks words of encouragement to him. The father instructs the young boy that he is not to remove the blindfold until he can feel the rays of tomorrow’s sun upon his face. He is not to call out for help or cry. He is to rely upon his faith in the Great Spirit for his survival. If he lives, he will become a man. He is sworn to secrecy about the ritual and then he is left alone.

All night the young brave hears the sounds of the wild, rustling of the leaves and the owl calling his name. He imagines that brother bear has smelled him and that the snakes of the mountain are at his feet. Maybe an enemy of the people will find him upon the stump and take him away as a slave. What if a mountain lion should wander this way while hunting for food? What was that noise to his left? Why did the frogs quit singing? What was out there? Should he remove his blindfold and run? NO, he must withstand the test and become a man. The night seemed to last forever and sleep creeps upon him. He fights the sleep, for he must remain still and be vigilant for the dangers of the night and the warm of the sun. Finally, he hears the sound of the morning. Birds begin their singing, he hears the rustle of deer making their way back to their shelter and the sun’s rays bring hope to him. Only a few more minutes and the sun should kiss his face. He feels the warmth of the sun as it slowly embraces the man-child. Slowly he reaches up with stiffness and removes the blindfold. His eyes adjust to the light and there sitting on a stump next to him is his father. For his father had not abandoned him during his trial. His father had been watching over him, protecting him the entire night.

Such is the love between parent and child. Such is the love that defies understanding. And as wondrous as this love is, it pales in comparison to the love our Heavenly Father has for us. We are not alone during those trials of life. We are never abandoned upon the stump. Though we can’t see Him, He is always there. Always looking out for our best interest and we must trust and obey. John 14: 18 states: “I will not leave you as orphans, I will come to you.” Do we have the faith of a muster seed? In 2 Corinthians 5:7, God states that, “We walk by faith, not by sight.” Sometimes the blindfold terrifies us and we wonder what is crawling around under our feet or hovering over our heads but we must never forget the one sitting beside us, guarding us from evil and loving us so much that He sacrificed His very life so we would be embraced by the rays of the Son. He is with us always. Matthew 28:20 says, “I am with you always, even unto the end of the world.” We are never alone. But don’t peek or take the blindfold off. Keep the blindfold on and trust that He Who Commands the Storm can and will protect you from the elements of daily life. Loving the blindfold and trusting the Man on the Stump, I remain your obedient servant in Christ, The Old General