The Banishment: All Good Stories Have a Dramatic Ending

All good stories have a dramatic ending. The really great epics, though, are such that they are only a prequel to a sequel. There is always more coming.

Adam and Eve were no longer a good fit to the perfection and ease in the Garden of Eden. Their relationship with their Creator was altered. Although tritely worded and simplistically spoken on my part, it was God's game. God's rules. Break the rules, you are out of the game. Gotta move on. New game. New rules.

Thus, the banishment from Paradise. Never to return to that state of Original Innocence and Perfection. The Tree of Life, access to Eternal Life, was guarded by an angel with a sword.

This is what it feels like to be on the outside looking in.

Internet Fair Use - Gustave Dore's The Banishment

The Bedevilment: The Anguish of Grief and Loss

Following the Ashamedness that was conjoined with the Knowledge of Good and Evil, Adam and Eve were bedeviled with Anguish. From Milton's Paradise Lost:

"Not only tears
Rained at their eyes, but high winds worse within
Began to rise."

There was a tremendous sense of Loss. Grief. Guilt. Separateness. Aloneness. Even in the presence of each other. The first argument. The first debate. The first inquiry as to Why? Who? When? The first blame game. The first forensic investigation. The first root cause analysis. The first finger pointing.

The first Containment Action. The first Corrective Action. The First Preventive Action. The first Now What?

The first Creative Endeavor. The first Artistic Pursuit. What should we do to fix what is now broken? What do we do to recover what was lost? What do we do to amend our Grief? What do we do to regain and recapture Paradise?

Paradise. Perfection. Beauty. Truth. Honor. Purity. Peace. Innocence. Lost.

Internet Fair Use - Gustave Dore's The Bedevilment

The Becoming: Self-awareness in Context of Bigger Things

Satan, disguised as a wily Serpent, had beguiled Eve that mankind could be a god. As an equal to God. Even the Serpent wanted to achieve that endeavor. So he suggested the Tree of Knowledge. If she only had the same Knowledge as God, how wonderful that would be and how great she would become. IF she only knew. If SHE only knew. If she only KNEW. If she only knew.

Adam's Rib, of the same flesh and blood, picked the fruit from the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil. Adam and Eve ate of that fruit and their eyes were opened to new, additional knowledge and discernment. Of Good and Evil. That they could Be. That they could Become. They may have been made perfect but they were not made immutable. Their eyes were opened to things unseen as yet.

And they became ashamed in this new knowledge. They knew their disobedience. Right and wrong. Good and bad. Righteous and unrighteous. Good and Evil. . They sought protection. They sought a covering. In the chiascuro events, of Light and Darkness, they hid from the Light.

But we see through the glass darkly about the Good and the Evil of this Human Endeavor. The Chiascuro event.

 Internet Fair Use - Gustave Dore's The Becoming

It has been said that, the one prevailing characteristic regarding leaders among men, is that they are self-aware. They have situation awareness. They know who they are within the context of larger things. They have proper and balanced perspective. They understand. They get it.

The Bewitching: The Moment of Disobedience and Decision

All great stories have a crux, or a crossing point, around which they center.

Milton's Paradise Lost poem begins

"Of Man's first disobedience and the fruit
Of that forbidden tree, whose mortal taste
Brought death into the world and all our woe,
With loss of Eden..."

In the epic of Adam and Eve, they are each bewitched, influenced or affected, by another. Satan, in the guise of the Serpent, bewitched Eve into disobedience to partake of the Fruit of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. She, in turn, bewitches Adam to partake of the same.

Internet Fair Use - Gustave Dore's The Bewitching

"Follow me. Do what I have done. Say what I am saying. Hear things in the manner I hear them. Interpret events in the manner I propose." or....

""I am independent. I am different. I do my own thing. I think my own thoughts. I seek the Original Idea. I desire to do something that no one has done before. To blaze new trails. Make new innovations and inventions. To be the first."

Would Interaction on a social level have avoided the Fall? Would Independence or Isolation have avoided the Fall? Would we, each of us, standing in Adam's or Eve's place, have done anything any different? Lest anyone blame Eve more than Adam for the first partaking.....Could Adam have not partaken of the fruit? I think not. She and he were of the the same flesh, she of Adam's Rib.

What if everything happened for a reason? What if it was meant to be? What did these events portend of the Future?

The Beguilement: All Good Stories Have a Plot That Thickens

Enter, stage center, the Serpent. All good stories have a protagonist. On who takes a leading part in a novel, drama, or story. A competitive type. The leader of a cause.

Eve, the first woman, didn't pick the fruit from the Tree of Life. Satan, a Fallen angel, taking on the form of a Serpent, beguiled her that mankind could be a god. As an equal to God. Even the Serpent wanted to achieve that endeavor. So he suggested the Tree of Knowledge. If she only had the same Knowledge as God, how wonderful that would be and how great she would become. If she only knew. Adam's Rib, of the same flesh and blood, picked the fruit from the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil. Adam and Eve ate of that fruit and their eyes were opened to that other additional knowledge and discernment. Of Good and Evil. That they could Be. That they could Become.

Internet Fair Use - Gustave Dore's Innocence Beguiled

As the Story unfolds, Innocence is beguiled. All is not well within the kingdom.

The Bewarning: A Cautionary Outlook

Perhaps with all great stories, there is a warning and a caution in there somewhere. A sense of impending doom. An instinct. A feeling. A sense that something is wrong. Everything is not all right with the world around us and we proceed accordingly with trepidation. Sometimes the warning is implicit in the circumstances. Occasionally, the warning may be as explicit as a verbal or written note from a messenger.

To be wary is to be on one's guard. To be careful. The angel Raphael, a messenger of God, sits with Adam and Eve and tells them of the way things are and the things to be wary of. This is the Bewarning.

Internet Fair Use - Gustave Dore's The Bewarning

There is the Admonition to Obey the counsel of the Almighty. If this were a Game, there are Rules of Engagement. As players in the Game, one is subject to the rules. It may even appear that the rules change over time. But there is an aspect to the ensuing behavior whereby Adam and Eve cannot fully comprehend, receive, nor follow the warning.

"Attend: that thou art happy, owe to God;
That thou continu'st such, owe to thyself,
That is, to thy obedience; therein stand.
This was that caution given thee; be advised.
God made thee perfect, not immutable;
And good He made thee, but to persevere
He left it in thy power; ordain'd thy will
By nature free, not over-ruled by fate
Inextricable, or strict necessity:
Our voluntary service he requires,
Not our necessitated, such with him
Finds no acceptance, nor can find; for how
Can hearts, not free, be tried whether they serve
Willing or no, who will but what they must
By destiny, and can no other choose?.....

....Under his great vice-regent reign abide
United, as one individual soul,
For ever happy: him who disobeys
Me disobeys, breaks union, and, that day
Cast out from God and blessed vision, falls
Into utter darkness, deep engulf'd, his place
Ordain'd without redemption, without end.
So spake th' Omnipotent, and with his words
All seemed well pleased; all seemed, but were not all."

And I am now mindful of Isaiah 28:11-13 regarding the trap and the snare:

11 For with stammering lips and another tongue will he speak to this people.
12 To whom he said, This is the rest wherewith ye may cause the weary to rest; and this is the refreshing: yet they would not hear.
13 But the word of the Lord was unto them precept upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little; that they might go, and fall backward, and be broken, and snared, and taken.

This is the warning. Onward Daily Walk.

The Beginning: Awakening in Innocence

As I reflect on this recent part of my Journey over the last two years and my investigation surrounding Grief, I am reminded that all good stories have a Beginning and an End.  Which makes me think of the first phrase in Ecclesiastes 7:8-14:

8 Better is the end of a thing than the beginning thereof: and the patient in spirit is better than the proud in spirit.
9 Be not hasty in thy spirit to be angry: for anger resteth in the bosom of fools.
10 Say not thou, What is the cause that the former days were better than these? for thou dost not enquire wisely concerning this.
11 Wisdom is good with an inheritance: and by it there is profit to them that see the sun.
12 For wisdom is a defence, and money is a defence: but the excellency of knowledge is, that wisdom giveth life to them that have it.
13 Consider the work of God: for who can make that straight, which he hath made crooked?
14 In the day of prosperity be joyful, but in the day of adversity consider: God also hath set the one over against the other, to the end that man should find nothing after him.
Dear Reader, think of your own favorite literature or movies. The Epic Story. The Noble Cause. With characters, and drama, and plots that thicken. Tragedies. Comedies. Tragic comedies. With Heroes and Villians. Leading characters. Supporting characters. About families. About famous personages. Countries. Battles. Wars. Politics. The battle between Good and Evil. The telling of History is loaded chock full of fanciful story-telling. The human drama.

The Beginning. All good stories start with one. The sun is shining. It's warm and cozy. The birds are twittering. The camera moves slowly past the Setting to give the ensuing story a context. All is well with the world. Everything is beautiful. There is a sense of confidence in the near term outlook. A feeling of mild anticipation and excitement. This is the Awakening in Innocence. Optimism. The Rosy Outlook. Perfection.

But not for long in most stories. They would be rather boring otherwise. Don't you think?

Recently, I purchased an 1884 rendition of Milton's Paradise Lost complete with fifty engravings by Gustave Dore. I recall seeing many of Dore's engravings as a child. I was amazed at the chiascaro effect of light and dark shading in the engravings from an early age. And the stories within.

Internet Fair Use -  Gustave Dore's Adam's Rib Awakens in Innocence

Milton's Paradise Lost does not start the story with the advent of mankind but rather with the Fall of the Angels and the ensuing Pandemonium. Chaos. Disorder. The differences between the Creator and the Created. The battle between Good and Evil. Power. Thrones. Dominions. Princedoms. Deceit. Intrigue.

But from our perspective, though, I suppose it always seems to start with us. We are rather self-centered in that regard. So many start the story at the beginning of Mankind. From dust we are created. To dust we shall return. The cemeteries and graves are full of quiet evidence. But I am getting ahead of myself so soon.  The story starts out in Paradise, does it not?.  Eve, Adam's Rib, is of the same flesh and blood as the first man. Adam receives his help-meet.  So at Eve's Awakening in Innocence, Adam is

"Leaning, half-raised, with looks of cordial love,
Hung over her enamoured."

We are always enamored over the Beginning of a thing.

Amazing Grace: Assurance of the Plan in Times of Change, Uncertainty, and Transition

8 And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. (Romans 8:28)

Woke up early this Sunday morning.  Mindful of this verse immediately upon waking. My Uncle Jim's favorite verse. Always and frequently quoted during times of uncertainty, change, and transition. Not some things but all things.

 Copyright James E. Martin 2005 James P. Rines Jr.

James P. Rines Jr. declared the whole counsel of God that the sheep might hear His voice. It's been nine years since his passing. He was sent to me. And I was most fortunate to have him in my life.

And from Romans 10:14-15:

14 How shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher?
15 And how shall they preach, except they be sent? As it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things!

Copyright James E. Martin 2005 James P. Rines Jr. 1930-2005

Coming up on the anniversary September 28. I was fortunate to be there with him in 2005. There was a lot of change, uncertainty, and transition from September to December 2005 after his passing. I made a lot of personal and professional schedule changes to work through the uncertainties and conflicting commitments during that time. It took a lot of mental toughness and extra effort.

Jim's wife, Elaine, had gone missing on her 77th birthday a few months before Jim died. He died without knowing what happened to her. We did not find her until the following Spring 2006 when some raccoon hunter's dogs treed a raccoon on the remote and secluded edge of the city of Statesville, N.C.  Elaine's bones were at the base of the tree, on the surface, with her keys and remnants of her clothes scattered about that matched her description on the day of her disappearance. With a proper forensic investigation by the authorities, there was apparently no evidence of foul play and we were assured through DNA evidence that it was her. I visited the site afterwards with the investigator.

I believe she had been to that place of rest and respite before. She was a Carolina mountain girl. Loved the natural settings. Disliked the progress of civilization and urban sprawl. This location was away from buildings, and traffic, and the sounds of the city. But within a healthy walking distance from her home. She disliked modern medicine and health methods. Practiced natural, organic, herbal healing methods as an Appalachian woman. If she had intended to go to a natural, forested, peaceful place to die, which she plausibly could have been thinking within her value system, this would have been an appropriate setting. According to my Uncle Jim, she and he had had recent dialog's together recalling their lives and experiences together. Perhaps a mutual reminiscing of the ups and downs of a long married life. Perhaps an unloading of burdens. Perhaps some final, confessional, departing words. Perhaps a departure formulating in her mind to her but not fully disclosed to him. It is hard to say by those of us who remain behind.

Elaine was an artist. When I mowed their lawn and inspected their flower beds, there were white, goose-egg-sized rocks in her yard that matched the nearby stream bed and were scattered amongst the leaf litter on the nearby hillside of her discovered resting place. There were two fallen logs where she could sit to listen to the gurgling stream, the chattering birds, and the rustle of the wind in the leaves. There was a tree canopy above to create a cool, scattered sunlight on the clearings and ferns below. There was a black, plastic landscape bucket with spaghum moss not natural to the area. Suitable when dry to carry about and, when wet, to retain spongy water-filled sustenance while collecting forest specimens to bring home to plant in her gardens. Easier to draw and paint the specimens when they are close.  Easier to enjoy. As she was always wont to do. It may very well have been a favorite forest garden respite for her beside the still waters of a stream. I partly believe she may have gone deliberately to that place in the forest that day. She always had her black poodle doggy, Harper Angus McGregor, or Yippy, with her. Partially blinded, partially deaf, and the smartest dog I had seen to date when I took responsibility for him at my Uncle Jim's death. That day of her disappearance though, she left him behind at the house leashed up.  An unusual practice.

There are still some uncertainties and questions about her last day. Mostly about one important factoid of evidence. For instance, she worked on a cash basis and carried cash with her.  Her purse was never recovered. The one remaining fact to be ascertained. If I knew that the raccoon hunters recovered the handbag and purse but just didn't report it, then that would add to the credence of the assertion that no foul play occurred on the day of her demise. But if they truly never took the purse, then it's plausible that someone else did. Perhaps after her demise and then never mentioning it because of the scene and the money. No one would ever know if one just took the purse and left.

Or perhaps some one took it the day she died. On Social Security check day. The day she walked to her Secret Garden. The day she walked past a somewhat rough part of town to get there. The day of her demise. Maybe someone knows more. All these things and more are really another epic story.

I was so fortunate that my Mom was there to assist and to counsel with me in the ensuing months of Jim's and Elaine's passing and to have wonderful conversations with her about all sorts of things during Mom's remaining years.  My Mom was Jim's little sister. Mom was Elaine's roommate in bible college. My Mom passed away in June of this year. These are my people. Some of the nearest and dearest to my heart. The most influential in my life's work and meaning.

So as I have been traversing the valley of the shadow of death these past years....

Internet Fair Use - Psalm 23

I don't really recall grieving my people. There was so much to do along the way. I have been about Duty these past years. There was my family, my children, and my employers, my employment, and unemployment. I have been working through Discomfort and Disability to understand the underlying causes. The unforeseen infirmities invoked lapses of capability that the doctors, nurses, nutritionists, wellness officers, and health advisers were not able to diagnose or remedy with their advice. I had to get that figured out on my own. Perhaps, I now understand the causes and the fixes. I have had thirty days of relative pain-free walking. I have returned to working some projects around the house. It has been an arduous mental and physical journey. A battle within the Inner Realm. The Daily Walk. For nine years.

I think it's time to grieve. And remember. And record. And consider how these things have shaped my Path over the last several years and how they should, can, or will shape my Path forward. And then continue on the Daily Walk. Living the Moment. On the Endeavor. On the Pursuit. With Chiascaro effects. And with Duty. And on all the Projects assigned to me by Executive Sponsors. On the Journey. In a strange land.

All things work together for good....