ABERDEEN NEWS - "Whenever I tell this story, it rains," I smiled.

"Really? Then now would be a good time to hear it."

"Okay, but don't say I didn't warn you."

I chuckled, putting down my cup of coffee.

"In the late 90's I served as an apprentice Firekeeper in the Native American Indian Church in Arizona, New Mexico, Nevada and Texas.

On numerous occasions over that period, I heard the Chief announce, just after sunset, that they were going to, 'bring rain in the morning-time'.

Never once, after stating such intent, did they fail to deliver. And never once did I see a Native American act surprised when it rained, 'by morning time'.

It was expected. I remember specifically the 3rd of April 1999, the day before Easter.

As our all-night prayer meeting was about to begin, David Eagleheart, the Chief that night, announced that the Native American Indian Churches had been on the telephone with each other all week, and had decided that the drought was so severe, they were going to collectively bring a deep-soaking snow to the whole of Arizona - in April!

Snow in the desert at that time of year is unheard of. We all came dressed for desert warmth.

Well, by 04.00 we could hear droplets on the Tipi, then they turned to patters, and when we walked out the tipi just after sunrise, the ground was a carpet of fresh white snow and we were freezing, running for blankets or back to the fire.

I will never forget the 4th of April 1999; on that day I drove eight hours to attend another church ceremony in the northern part of the State. There was snow on the side of the road all the way."

I took a sip of my coffee. I could see my friend didn't know what to make of my words.

"You can Google it," I noted and put my coffee cup down. "There was snow in Tucson that day."

I continued: "I once asked Colin Kingfisher, whom I apprenticed under for four years, how Native Americans managed to communicate so successfully with The Great Spirit - their chosen name for God - when they needed rain?

He laughed and said it was simple and normal. He said first we had to learn to speak the language of The Great Spirit – which is not with all 'the fancy words we modern people use'.

Kingfisher used to joke that we modern people have so many different words that we have to be lying most of the time.

He explained that many of us modern people have forgotten what role words play in praying. He said whereas modern people now use words to communicate meaning - Native Americans used them primarily to communicate feeling.

During ceremonies, he would often state that the heart is our tool for direct communication with our Creator - not the mouth. I soon learned that The Native American way of teaching and learning is: shut up and pay attention."

I took another sip of my coffee.

"So exactly how do they pray for rain?" My friend asked, impatiently.

"Kingfisher explained to me," I continued, "that Native Americans do not pray for rain - rather, they pray-rain. I never heard them once asking or begging for rain, or for anything for that matter. In four years of church services, no asking." I put my coffee cup down.

"That night, when they made it snow throughout Arizona, I never once heard anyone ask for rain or snow. However, all night long, I heard words and songs that celebrated the many wonderful feelings of receiving rain.

They remembered the rain like an old friend they missed and loved dearly. I never once witnessed them speaking from a place of fear or lack, but rather from a place of gratitude and abundance. Kingfisher said that to intentionally bring rain, they simply go to their holy places - be it in a tipi or upon a piece of open ground they consider sacred - or even in their backyard - and there they pour the feeling of receiving rain into each other's hearts with stories and songs. With their stories and songs, they remember feeling great rain falling from the sky, feeling the wet mud, cold and squelchy between toes, feeling rain-soaked garments clinging cold to skin and the feeling of watching children splashing joyfully in puddles. Instead of asking for – they celebrate the memory of rain. They used simple words and singing to dive into and splash about in their memories of rain."

"Wow, didn't Jesus tell us to pray as if we had already received?" My friend responded.

"Yes, apparently praying this way is not new," I smiled and nodded.

"We just forget about it when we become desperate. Kingfisher said this is the essential difference between our way of praying today and theirs; they do not come to God with heavy, burdened, fearful hearts, but rather with joyful gratitude for the abundance of already receiving.

This is the way Native Americans are in all their praying: They remember the last time it rained and how wonderful it felt to smell that first aroma of rain in the desert air. They remember the sound of raindrops dancing upon their rooftops and the crashing laughter of lightning and thunder delivering God's wonderful wet blessings.

Kingfisher said the great secret of all successful rain-making is so simple: Go to a place that is sacred and hold the feeling of receiving rain in the heart for as long as possible, as joyfully and abundantly as possible. And bring no doubtful feelings of lack, no feelings of sadness or fear. Just pray-rain and know it is expected."

My friend sat thoughtfully. "What would happen if everyone in The Karoo spent a few moments remembering the feeling of receiving an abundance of rain throughout our region? Or even remembering the feeling of snow..." She smiled excitedly.

"Or even snow…" I agreed, remembering the morning of the 4th of April 1999. I got up to make another pot of coffee. "Well, that's my rain bringing story."

"I am sure everyone remembers how it feels to drive along the roads between our Karoo towns and see all the dams full," my friend continued enthusiastically, "and the vegetation glistening green from the moisture of an abundantly replenishing rainfall? It's easy to remember what that feels like."

"I remember," I agreed. "We all know how good it feels when it rains in The Karoo," I paused, remembering. "That wonderful desert rain smell and how happy the heart is to wake up in the morning hear and the sound of raindrops dancing upon our rooftops. It takes nothing from us to spend a few moments each day remembering the feeling of receiving replenishing rain. That's why Kingfisher said that bringing rain is very simple and normal when we remember how."

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