"And Then What Happened?"

Stories.  We all like stories.  Stories about people, places, pets, predicaments.  Stories told in books, on the radio, at the library or in school.  Stories at our bedside, by the campfire, on our sofa.  The familiar voices of our parents, grandparents, siblings, friends, teachers and people we don't know, but who's tales touch us.
Stories inspire us, motivate, and encourage us.  They can also make us laugh and cry and shake in our boots.

By better understanding the characters in stories-fictional or non-we can better understand ourselves and others-both near to us and those we will never meet in person.
We have been taught by story-telling from the beginning of time.  The ancients spent much time passing down stories to preserve their people's history and sense of belonging.  Our Savior used stories to inspire, teach and lead us.

We do more than "like" stories-we need them.  I think we may well be hard-wired to be nourished by tales.

In this wondrous time we now live in, we have means to stories that I never dreamed of as a child. The science fiction of my childhood has been eclipsed by our technological abilities.  Want a story? A few clicks and I download a book from the library.  I can either read it on my screen, or have it read to me by a talented performer or a noted authority.
And we seem to have a need for almost continuous story-telling.  If not a printed story, then there may well be an audio book being read in our ears or a movie being played in our car.

We-Grandma and I-were listening to a story about story telling some years ago.  Yes, in our car.  The narrator was talking about the "Four Most Important Words in Story-telling".  Can you guess?  I thought of "and it came to pass"...but that was more than four.  Then I thought of "Once upon a time", as many stories begin with these four words.  But that wasn't what this story-teller was meaning either.  After some time telling a story, he said that the Four Most Important Words in story-telling are--are you ready to hear this? (no-that is six words-that was a real question...)---"And then what happened?".

As soon as I heard this, I knew the narrator was right!  A good story-one that moves us, involves us, may even change us-is a "page turner".  We want-no, we need to know what comes next.  Sometimes we really, really want to know "and then what happens" after the story ends!  Those are some of the best stories.

OK-why all this blah-blah about stories and story telling?  Well, last Christmas, Grandma gave you some bits and pieces of Christmas stories from our journals.  And she said that the stories need to be continued by you!  Your stories are the "and then what happened" in our grand scheme of things!
I hope you are remembering your stories!  And recording them somehow.  I want to know what happens next!

When I re-started (can something be "re-started"?) writing a bit in this blog, it was at the encouragement of Grandma to share some Christmas-time stories from my young years.  I tried to share a couple of tales.  My brother, Randy, read them and commented that he couldn't remember the incidents too well.  Understandable-he is a whole 2 1/2 years older than I am!  The point is that, as we get old-like me-we don't remember things as well, or as clearly, or from the same perspective as when we are living the stories.  So, my younger kiddos, think about getting in the habit of writing about your lives every week.  Trust me-I'm old and know stuff-your older self will think that is about the best present your younger self could give him/her/it.  OK, I am now confused too.  But you are all smart enough to know what I mean.

I really wish I had some writing from a young Ricky Edge (not your dad or uncle Ricky Edge-me, Grandpa-Ricky Edge.  That was my name from when I was a youngster.  Which was a long, long time ago.  Don't smile-if you hang around long enough, you'll get old too!  And I can still take any of you!)  So-don't be like me (except for my good parts-ask me and I'll tell you what they are.  If I remember) and neglect to record your "and what happened next".

I was going to leave this blah-blog with the beginning of the tale of "Fritz the Wonder Wiener Dog" (which tale does end with the tail of said wonder wiener dog, by the way), but I have written more than anyone wants to read, so I will end here.  But Fritz won't.  His end will come next time.  But his end does come after his beginning.  Hence the tale that may well end with his tail.

Until later, keep smiling.

"...after all we can do."

"It is by Grace that we are saved, after all we can do."

Music is a powerful influence in our lives.   I think that the eternities of heavenly choirs that we heard, and some of us probably sang in, prior to coming to Earth imprinted a love for music in most of our hearts.  It is not my intent to talk about music today, I just want to mention one song/hymn that relates to today's topic.  "Come Thou Font of Every Blessing".  

This hymn talks about the Grace to which we are all indebted for our salvation.  It is "by Grace" that we are saved.  More thoughts about that another day.

The part of the scripture quoted above that I want to talk about is "...after all we can do".

When I was younger and full of get up and go, I just figured that  I need to do things.  Accomplish stuff.  Get to meetings.  Along with-make a celestial marriage, raise the perfect children (take a look at your parents, you grandkids, and let me know how we did).  Make a successful career, advance and achieve. Coach the kids' teams.  Keep all the commandments.  Volunteer for all the projects and service opportunities. And more.  Surely I could do more.  I even tried to teach this to the young men in my care.  "If you can think about anything you can do, you are obligated to do it".  After all, it said  "...after all we can do".

Then I remembered that we are also counseled to "not run faster than (we) have strength".

Hmm.  What was I missing here?  I knew that I had times when I would look at my schedule and say "if I can only get through the next week (or 2 weeks, or month), I can then stop and catch my breath".

Well, I think that I was maybe missing the meaning of the "all we can do" part.  What if it doesn't mean checking everything off The List?

What is my "all".  I read about the anti-Nephi-Lehites (no-these we not people who were against Nephi-ask you parents what their name means).  After they had their hearts changed and had repented of their sins, they became aware that their former -ites--the Lamenites who did not repent and have changed hearts-were coming to attack them.  As part of their commitment to their new lives, new hearts and new hope in the Savior's Grace, they had buried their weapons deep in the earth (Scooter could have helped them).  Some were tempted to get their swords back from the hole in the ground in order to defend themselves.  Their leader told them "no".  He said "It was all we could do to repent....of our sins" (and have their hearts changed).  He told his people that they dare not jeopardize this great change in their lives, even at the risk of death.  Their weapons remained where they were-buried-and many were slain, unarmed, by the Lamenites-their former brethren.

Now, there is much more to this story, but I want to focus on a couple of points.

First-it was "all they could do" to repent and change their ways.  This allowed them to have the atonement become real and work in their lives.  I use the word "work" because it is an active, dynamic process.  This great change in their hearts and their actions-they were now striving to do good-was "all they could do".  It did not mention lengthy lists and check boxes.

I have heard it said is that all we have to give back to the Savior is our hearts-our will. 

Once we do that, then our other actions become "Christian".  We then are more able to do His will in our lives.

When this happens, I think it is evidenced in how we treat others.  I think that how we treat others reflects the condition of our hearts.  We start to remember that everyone we interact with is a spiritual sister or brother-even our family members!  We all have inherited spiritual DNA from our  Father.  When we consider our physical bodies, our DNA is closest to our siblings (now I feel sorry for Randy, Steve and Tammy!).  Does that mean our spiritual DNA is closest to our siblings?  Does that mean we have the potential to be more Christ-like?  Are you tired of my trying to make points by forming them as inquiries?  Want me to stop?

Two quick points.  As we change our hearts, we will treat others with love, kindness, charity.  We will be happy for their successes-even when competing with them.  We will want them to be happy and successful.  We will seek ways to serve, edify (important word-look it up if you need to), comfort and uplift others.  It will feel "wrong" to make others feel small, inferior, powerless, unhappy.  No "I'm big, you're small, I'm right, you're wrong..." attitudes.  For you kids in school, you may want to find out which kids need friends and befriend them.  (I will share stories from my young days about this next time-promise).  And (kiddos), you need to remember that being kind to others includes your family-and this means MOM and DAD (hmm-both of those words are palindromes...)-not just your siblings.

OK-much more can be said about that, but I will stop there.

The second brief point has to do with not losing ground.  This changing heart business is a life-long pursuit.  We keep at it and keep at it.  Sometimes it is tempting to not be doing "all we can do" and let our hearts harden a bit.  Our stake president, in stake conference today, talked about "not giving up yardage" once we are making progress.  This is a football analogy.  Or a war analogy.  When you work and sweat and bleed and cry and pray and serve and laugh and love and gain ground-hold onto it!  Don't let yourself slip backwards, downhill.  It is often much more difficult to make up the same yardage-regain the previously hard-won progress-than it was to make the progress initially.

Last thought.  More than the two promised, so this is a bonus!  Something else I was reminded of today-we all are trying to do our best.  And we are all providing eternally-valuable service much more than we sometimes let ourselves realize.  Of course, he-who-shall-not-be-named (no, not Voldemort) wants us to feel like we don't make a difference, that we aren't of any value.  But we are!  Eternally so.

Sorry for the lack of stories.  Will write more stories from the olden days next time.  Love you all.