El Señor está Contigo
(Translation follows)
Los indios americanos tenían una practica única de entrenar a sus guerreros jóvenes. En la noche del cumpleaños número 13 de un varón, después de aprender a cazar, rastrear y pescar, lo pasaban por una prueba final. Con la aprobación de sus padres, lo llevaban a un bosque para que pasara toda la noche solo. Hasta entonces, nunca había estado separado de la seguridad de hogar. Pero en esa noche, era vendado y llevado varias millas adentro.
Cuando se quitaba la venda, se encontraba en medio del bosque aterrorizado. Cada vez que escuchaba un ruido, se imaginaba un animal listo para devorarlo. Después de lo que parecía una eternidad, el sol salía. Mirando a su alrededor, veía flores, árboles, un camino... Y para su sorpresa, una figura de un hombre solo a unos metros de él, armado con flecha y arco. Era su papá. Había estado ahí toda la noche. Y si el joven lo hubiera sabido, no hubiera experimentado temor.
Hermanos, no importa lo que suceda a nuestro alrededor, el Señor está siempre con nosotros. No hay razón para temer, no podemos tener mejor compañía.
******
THE LORD IS WITH YOU
The American Indians had a unique practice of training their young warriors. On the night of the 13th birthday of a man, after learning to hunt, track, and fish, you went through one final test. With the approval of his parents took him to a forest to spend the night alone. Until then, I had never been separated from the safety of home. But that night, was blindfolded and taken several miles inland.
When he removed the blindfold, he was terrorized in the woods. Every time I heard a noise, he imagined an animal ready to devour him. After what seemed an eternity, the sun rose. Looking around, I saw flowers, trees, a road ... And to his surprise, a figure of a man just a few feet away, armed with bow and arrow. It was his dad. He had been there all night. And if the young man I had known, he would not have experienced fear.
Brothers, no matter what happens around us, the Lord is always with us. There is no reason to fear, we can not have better company.