The Stone of Blood by Tony Nalley Page B

was adopted by the Congress of the United States on
June 20, 1782
as their national symbol.
     
    “Il est à l’Amérique alors?" Dit un homme. "Mais qu’est-ce du dragon?”
     
    “It is to be the Americas then?” The one man said. “But what of the Dragon?”
     
    “Lisons encore, les paroles de l’Apocalypse.” Dit l’autre.
     
    “Let us read further, the words of Revelation.” said the other.
     
    “Et le dragon fut irrité contre la femme, et alla faire la guerre aux restes de sa postérité, qui gardent les commandements de Dieu, et qui ont le témoignage de Jésus-Christ.” (Apocalypse 12:17)
     
    “ Then the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went and made war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.” (Revelation 12:17)
     
    They turned then and cast their light upon the great wall that stood before them that held a giant map of the New World . The map stretched as long and as high as the old wall itself.
     
    Using a long slender pointer made of ash wood, they traced the outline of Quebec .
     
    They envisioned it as it was revealed to them in spirit, as the head of the dragon with fire breathing from its mouth into the lands of Nova Scotia .
     
    They further traced the outline of the eastern coast of the American breastplate as it manifested into a dragon’s claw by way of the Floridian state.
     
    While still further south and around unto the gulf they could foresee the country of Mexico itself forming the great tail of the creature; with the western coast and undiscovered mountains of the continent to the north as the shadow of its outstretched wings.
     
    By divine inspiration, the dragon stood before them upon the great wall just as it may have been envisioned and stood before John on the Greek island of Patmos ; who received the revelations from God as written in the New Testament.
     
    The eldest of the men drew a jeweled encrusted dagger from its sheath that glistened by the light of their candle’s flame, and thrust it into the dragon’s heart on the map; finding its blade to fall deep within the lands of Kentucky; lands named for the French House of Bourbon.
     
    “ Qui est le cartographe américain? ”
     
    “Who is the American cartographer?”
     
    “ Voulez-vous dire celui que nous avons discuté plus tôt, celui qui est de créer des cartes de l’épidémie de choléra? ”
     
    “Do you mean the one we discussed earlier, the one who is creating the maps of the cholera epidemic?”
     
    “ Oui, il est le seul .”
     
    “Yes, he is the one.”
     
    “Henry Schenck Tanner”
     
    “ Commission lui de dresser les plans de la nouvelle ville. ”
     
    “Commission him to draw up the plans for the new city .”
     
    “Il est décidé alors?”
     
    “It is decided then?”
     
    “ Oui . Il est décidé . ”
     
    “ Yes. It is decided.”
     
     
     

     
     
     

 
     
    Seven
     
    Of Higher Purpose
     
     
     
    Like a single drop of rain that falls upon the water, we are all of us a part of somethin’ much bigger than ourselves. We are more than just a character developed and related in a storybook or a tale told around a campfire in the lingerin’ hours of the twilight.
     
    I have heard it said that we are placed here upon this earth for a much greater purpose.
     
    Although hidden from the naked eye that purpose often times goes unnoticed.
     
    Perhaps it is as my mama said, “ Our purpose may be that we are here to meet one person, for one moment and be the witness and light in that one person’s life.”
     
    The outcome of our actions has ripplin’ effects and whole generations can be effected by a single drop of rain upon the water.
     
    My great aunt Leathie was much akin to that single drop of rain. She was my grandpa’s sister, my mama’s aunt and she lived by herself in a little white house on the southern side of town.
     
    She called me ‘ Sunshine’; a simple term of endearment