Learning to Listen

Hello everyone!!


Tomorrow at this time, I should be in Arizona!! I am excited. I am nervous. I am thrilled. But above it all, I am ready to start this summer adventure ... tomorrow!

For one of my requirements before beginning my missions internship, I was asked to read two books about the Native American culture. Larry Littlebird's Hunting Sacred: Everything Listens was one of them, and I was extremely impressed by what I read. But in order for me to have heard this incredible message, I had to listen. So listen to Littlebird, a man who possesses a voice with such terrific insight.


"On another day, following my Grampa, trying to keep the quick pace he was setting as we hurried home, I was placing my feet into the tracks he made. He was aware of me and a little irritated, as I scrambled to keep up with him. Believing I'd figured out how to match his stride, I stretched my legs and quickly leaped from print to print. I was thinking he was irritated because I kept falling behind. Now I thought how proud he'd be, seeing me matching his swift stride. We came to a sandy rise. Suddenly, he stopped. I almost crashed into him.

'Sit down,' he commanded. Both of us slumped into the soft sand. Pointing with his cane toward the way we'd come, he asked, 'What do you see?'

I started to describe the land, bushes, sky, and trees. 'No. On the ground, what do you see?'

I looked back carefully. 'I see our tracks.'

'OK. now, how many?'

Beginning to understand, I answered, 'Your tracks.'

He pointed in the direction we were headed, 'What do you see?'

I looked out across the flat land stretching into distance. 'No tracks.'

He smiled, 'Right. Haadtsi, the land, wherever we are in our life, Haadtsi is here, just like this, waiting for our tracks. We have to make our own.'

That was it. Easily he rose to his feet and moved smoothly into his quick step, heading across the expanse. I jumped up and followed a little off to the side, at my own pace. We crossed that immense land, each leaving our own tracks" (58-59).


It has been a process for me to finally come out of my shell and be who God created me to be. I was never meant to be anyone else. I hope this is a story that brings encouragement for you to simply be who God created you to be. And, I hope this will be a story that I can potentially use to encourage others this summer too.

Thanks for reading. I will be flying tomorrow evening, so if you think about me tomorrow, please pray for my safety as I fly from Charlottesville, Virginia to Charlotte, North Carolina, to finally Phoenix.

Today, I am and will continue to listen. Today, will you? Talk with you soon!!


Joey :)