Even Rock & Roll Can Give Good Advice

by Terri Wagner

I'm a huge rock-n-roll fan. Love the hairband groups from the 80s and watched MTV every chance I got in the beginning when it was just vids. That hasn't really changed too much. I like some of Lady Gaga understanding of course that doesn't mean I accept her antics. Much like I liked early Madonna but let's not go there, ha!

This morning I was thinking of my last Gospel Doctrine lesson which basically took a postcard view of Saul & David. At this time, Saul had fallen and David had been anointed but would not be king for many years to come. The lesson emphasized that both men started out as choice young men, attractive, humble, good, patriotic young men who would grow to lose much of what they had gained.

As I spoke about Samuel anointing David, I likened it to our patriarchal blessings. We get "blessed" for future events. All that is very exciting to contemplate when you are young and like most young women I focused on certain parts, not the parts as it turned out I should have.

Now I'm at a place where I feel like hmmm so that's what that warning meant...aha that's the road I'm walking down...opps missed that blessing darn it. In other words, I'm in a re-evaluating place. And frankly my writing has taken a backseat.

What does this have to do with rock-n-roll, well this morning I was listening to Bon Jovi who has managed to stay relevant to a whole new rock-n-roll generation singing "Livin on a Prayer" wherein he tells us "You live for the fight when that's all that you've got." Powerful words.

We know that in the end Saul & David lost much ground. However, Saul went down grumbling and giving in to the "evil spirit" taking his son Jonathan down with him. David lost much including some sons but fought his way repenting to the very end. What happens next is up to our Heavenly Father and I'm the last person who's gonna judge and say blah blah blah.

I just felt momentarily inspired. That sometimes you just live for the fight because soemtimes in a postcard moment that's all that you've got.