Gratitude in advance

Gratitude In Advance

Some years ago my van got stolen from a Home Depot parking lot. Inside the van were my altar, drum and eagle feathers, $600 dollars in quarters, (my life’s savings), and $600 in donation money, (to be used for spiritual purposes only). Walking home in shock, I kept repeating to myself; “Thank you for the gift in this difficulty. Thank you for the gift in this difficulty…”. It helped. One close friend said; “Everything comes back.” That felt good.

On the way to the next sweat, I stopped at a friend’s house to borrow a drum. I saw another friend to borrow an eagle feather and some dry sage. I arrived at the lodge with no altar, no cedar or sweet grass, just me and my ceremony. The sweat was deep, beautiful and powerful. I felt so blessed.

On the way home I stopped to return the drum and it was given to me. I stopped to return the eagle feather and sage and the feather was given to me. When I arrived home I learned that my brother had come into a chunk of money and was splitting it up amongst the family. He handed me an envelope containing $1200. A week later, the police found my van. The money was gone but my “sacreds” were unharmed. It all came back. I felt so blessed.

I had trusted the wisdom and love of the universe that it was all for good reason, and I awaited the gift. What came back was not only all the materials, but also a deeper appreciation for and from my loved ones, the excitement and gratitude I experienced when I found my sacreds entact, a demonstration that “sacreds” are just things, but the medicine is always with me, and a demonstration that I am loved by All That Is.

Two weeks later another gift presented itself. I had only been doing requested sweats but people were wanting to sweat regularly. I made the commitment and wrote a letter to announce open sweats. As I was walking up to the post office with this box of 40 Sweat letters, (it was before email), I ran into Red Buffalo, standing by the door. He was a homeless man I’d met some months before, at another cosmic moment, in another part of the city. He was dirty and sweaty and I think drunk. When I walked up to him he got teary, looked down, put his hand on his chest and sadly asked; “Is it bad if you loose your medicine pouch?” The words were close at hand and I answered, “The pouch is just a thing, brother. You got the medicine right there inside.” He lightened up and we talked a little and after singing a bear calling song together (in the Tarzana post office parking lot), he was gone. Again I felt so blessed.

What might have been considered a heavy loss, turned out to be countless blessings, not just for me but also to pass along. “Gratitude in advance” requires a trust in the universe that there really is a gift in every difficulty, and it's that trust that opens the door to "Magic".


P.S.
I think Red Buffalo to be a shaman or a spirit helper. The first time I met him was the night before my birthday when I would be going to Catalina for the first time. I was feeling a bit low, questioning my path, and meeting him revived and inspired me and I felt blessed. The next morning I got off the boat at the island and there, on top of the ticket booth was a plastic full sized Buffalo, with a Red coat on.
copyright 2010 to paul perrotta
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