Bucket list 49 – how to prepare

August 24, 2014

A profound oddity exists in the world of humans. Unlike many animal kingdoms, the human population as a unit does not consider history to be relevant. While some species of salmon make their journey back to their spawning grounds with perfect unity with nature and their ancestors, we humans simply go on blindly into the future, with little regard for how our ancestors lived, ate, warred, loved, or died. Bees have highly intricate systems of survival including royalty, workers/gatherers, food storage, ventilation systems, incubation/reproduction, and a caste system.

Humans go from catastrophe to catastrophe; from war to war; from invention to invention counting those elements of earth life as symbols or “signs” of change. For those in the United States, 1776 rings as a moment of astounding change; change from a form of servitude – taxation without representation – to a glorious experiment in economic freedom; of mental, spiritual, and physical opportunities to live way beyond our ancestors’ expectations. So gigantic in relation to most other revolutionary experiences that, unlike France with five revolutions since that time, our system of justice, enterprise, and freedom has lasted well over 200 years because we have recognized the genius, the moral high ground, and the Godly intervention in the creation of our Declaration of Independence and Constitution of the United States of America.

Woa!!!! So how are we different from the Bees? Bees have no freedom. They live what I would consider Satan’s law. They have no choice. They have no freedom. They can’t change. They have evolved to the fullest extent of their creation and abilities. While very learned and experienced individuals like Ruth B. Ginsberg, sitting member of the United States Supreme Court, deny the supreme nature of this great experiment and recommend “alternative” constitutions to emerging countries, billionaires make mockery of our economy and system of freedom and justice by manipulating people and cultures through high levels of propaganda, distortion, and money, we still maintain those sacred God given rights.

Imagine being little George Wilson. In this fiction story he is a bright little boy with an even brighter future. He is unhappy and thinks his parents are treating him like a slave. He goes to bed mad at his parents and has a dream. In his words he shares his story. About two in the morning, I woke up to the reality that I was actually living in the high mountains of Haiti with my mother and her very mean boyfriend. Noise, wind, crying, screaming, dead bodies, and panic filled the air. I crawled out to find that nothing but rubble was left of our village. One old dog was roving around with his front leg so badly injured that he just crawled off and went to sleep. I began to walk and look for food but there was none. I looked for my family and found them all smashed up against some trees at the edge of the forest. Nothing would ever be the same again.

After five days of walking I found some people in a large tent city prepared by the Red Cross and other humanitarian services. They gave me a little space on the ground about three by five where four other boys and I could some sleep, get a little water, some rice, and some medicine if we needed it. I found out I had leukemia and would probably die within the next few days. I cried out for my mother and father. I cried out for my brother (even if he picked on me, he would still help me; then, I remembered that they were all dead and that I was all alone.

The missionaries for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints had come to our village during the last few weeks and taught us about God. They talked of a loving God that would help us when we prayed to Him. I hadn’t learned how to pray so I just started talking to God and asked him to give me the strength to find someone who would help me like my mother and father, brother and sisters had before the earth quake.

I went for a walk the next morning and found a clean, well kept perimeter wall with a large inviting gate. I went inside and found some very nice people that gave me some clothes and let me stay there until I could find some place to go. They taught me about eternal life, being able to be with my family again, and all the other things I needed to go before I was taken by leukemia. Then I woke up.

May God give us the understanding we need to spend our lives in service and love for others.

Duane Jacobs, Grandfather, father, brother, uncle, cousin, and friend