Childhood Story With Easter Parallels

Today is Easter and my thoughts have been focused on the death and resurrection of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

Jane reminded me this week of a story we learned growing up. She shared it in a video to all of her grandchildren, making it a beautiful Easter-themed event for them. 

The story is about how China had a tradition of naming their good little boys long names like Rickitickitimbonosirimboharabarabiscanickinonomonanodonbarraco and they would name bad little boys short names like Shem.

 One day 

Rickitickitimbonosirimboharabarabiscanickinonomonanodonbarraco and Shem were playing in the garden together and  Rickitickitimbonosirimboharabarabiscanickinonomonanodonbarraco fell into a well. By the time his friend Shem was able to alert the gardener, who alerted the father, who alerted the mother, repeating the good little boy's name numerous times it was too late to save the life of poor little 

Rickitickitimbonosirimboharabarabiscanickinonomonanodonbarraco. 

From then on in China, they decided to name the good little boys short names like Shem and bad little boys long names like Rickitickitimbonosirimboharabarabiscanickinonomonanodonbarraco so they could get the good little boys out of the well in time.

On the outset, this story doesn't sound much like it could have a parallel with the Easter story of Christ rising from the dead, but Jane found a way with several points.

1. Rickitickitimbo... was a good little boy, but he wasn't perfect. Jesus is the only perfect person who has ever lived on the earth. He never made a mistake.

2. Rickitickitimbo... was blessed with good parents who would do anything for him. They tried to get to the well in time but they weren't able to get there fast enough. We all have good parents who will do anything to try to help us. Jesus had earthly parents who took good care of him, also, but Jesus was the literal son of God. He was the only begotten son of the Father.

3. Rickitickitimbo...had a friend. We all have friends and we need our friends. Jesus had many friends as well. He called twelve of them to be his disciples to help him lead the church. They were left in charge of the church after Jesus died. While still living, Jesus taught his many friends through parables, through miracles, and through his example. We can learn a lot from the way Christ taught his friends and the great example he was to them and to us.

4. In the story there is a well. Water is important to every living thing. We can't live without it. There is a story in the scriptures of Christ meeting a woman at a well. He asked her for some water. She gave him a drink. He then told her that if she drinks of the water from the well, she will thirst again, but if she would drink of the living water he has, she will thirst no more and will have eternal life. This living water Jesus spoke of is his gospel. We can drink of his living water as we learn of him, keep the commandments, and follow His example. 

5. In the story there is a gardener. If there is a gardener, there must be a garden. There are a lot of different types of gardens, but the one Jesus went to was the Garden of Gethsemane. It was in this garden that he suffered for all mankind. He not only suffered for our sins, but also suffered for any pains or hardships that mankind can experience. He was then crucified and paid the ultimate price of his own life so that we might live again.

Rickitickitimbo... died in the story. Every one of us will eventually die. Because of Christ's resurrection, we, too, will be able to be resurrected one day. That knowledge is very comforting.

The gift of resurrection is such a blessing for each of us. When we die, our spirits will be separated from our bodies for a time. After a while, I'm sure that we will have a longing to be reunited with our bodies. Christ made that possible for us. For that, I am very grateful!