4/11/15 RMB Prayer from Ten Bears

4/11/15 RMB Prayer from Ten Bears

Dear Rita Mae Brown,

On a cool Wednesday evening, some 20 years ago, I walked into a Spiritualist Church. The reverend’s warm smile lifted hearts and the glint in her eye could be seen from the farthest pew, which was about where I sat. I knew that night, I’d be back.

A handful of years later, on a Thursday evening, Reverend Millie Landis, with that same warm smile and glint in her eye, administered one of her final Spiritual Awareness Classes for the season. Randomly, near the end of the class, she gave out the name of Native American spirit guides to those attending for their first full year. Many were repeat attenders, and had their guides from their own first year.

She handed me a small piece of paper. On it was the name Ten Bears, along with a description of my guide who had come to share this life with me. There were stories of some skeptical students, or maybe they were just curious about the guides, who looked up their guides’ names to see if they could find reference to their existence; to see if what they found matched the description Reverend Millie shared from the spirit world. Their findings put their skepticism, or curiosity, to rest.

I felt no need for such research and rested assured that Ten Bears travels with me. Interestingly enough, on one particularly rough day, I called to Ten Bears and asked for a little assistance. I parked my car, rested my head back, closed my eyes and welcomed my guide to help ease my woes. Upon opening my eyes I looked at the license plate on the car in front of me. It read clearly TEN BEAR. I guess there was no room for the S.

Two days ago, I read page 36 of The Four-Fold Way by Angeles Arrien, PH. D., a book that Teddy Tapscott mentioned in her Native American studies. The author quoted from Nerburn and Mengelkoch’s Native American Wisdom, the words of a prayer spoken by Ten Bears, a Yamparika Comanche:

“Great Spirit – I want no blood upon my land to stain the grass. I want it all clear and pure, and I wish it so, that all who go through among my people may find it peaceful when they come, and leave peacefully when they go.”

Peace be with you,

Loraine