Eve and the Apple

When it comes to questions, this one is BIG...Why did they eat the apple?

Actually, as you ask that question, ask yourself what you would have done?  I mean really...

Eve's motivation could have had multiple sides.  She could have eaten the apple because she was afraid she would have missed something if she walked away.  This seemed like a chance to learn more.  Or, she could have eaten because she was curious and wanted to understand.  She also could have been a little greedy, or prideful.

Which of those have you NOT been in your lifetime? 

Okay, now (hopefully) that we're on a level playing field, let's get down to the real point of Eve and the Apple.  We've always talked about what Adam and Eve lost - the garden - access to God - a cushy life, but we don't talk about what they did about it.  Whenever we turn from God we make our own consequences, right?  The next question is, what are you going to do about it?  Are you going to keep turning away, or are you going to turn back TO God (confessing your need). 

When we choose to turn to God, He is always right there, waiting and excited to have us back.  Every time we choose God we choose life.  The question is not, why do we eat the apple? (because we do).  The question is, what are you going to do about it?  Will you turn back to God?  Will you make a regular habit of confession and turning back to God? 

Turning to God and confession is a good spiritual discipline to practice regularly.  Today, write down how many times you turn away, then write down your turning back and confessing.  Practice turning back to God.  Make it a habit.  That's what discipline is all about.

Adam and Eve

Were they literally the first man and woman, Adam and Eve?

Part of the problem with that question is that it's too literal - exact - black and white.  The problem with black and white is that it doesn't leave room for other possibilities.

Remember that scripture is the written account of God and the Hebrew people.  It was written by Hebrews and for Hebrews.  You need to ask what the story would have meant to them 2500 years ago.  (I am not being literal with 2500 years but am just using that as an example).

What IS important is that God created man and woman in his image.

YOU are created in the image of God.  We talk a lot about being a child of God, but don't always look at what it means to be created in the image of God.  Created FOR God; FOR relationship.  Created OF God.

You are OF God.

God is IN you.

God goes WITH you.

Before, behind, inside and out.

The story of Adam and Eve are important because God is showing us what it was like to be in the garden in perfect union with God.  The writer was trying to get the Hebrew people to understand how desperately God loved them and wanted to BE with them.  The writer wanted the reader to know they are OF God and that God is all around and is always with them.

God is trustworthy.

Even when we are not aware He is there, He IS all around.  He wants to spend time with you in the garden.

Walk with Him.  Soak in His presence.  Know that you are made in the image of God.

Creation Details

How did God create the earth?

Genesis 1:2 says, "The earth was formless and empty, and darkness covered the deep waters. The Spirit (Ruach in Hebrew) hovered/moved (Rachaph) over the surface of the waters,"

Genesis 1:3 goes on, "Then God said (Amar), “Let there be light,” and there was light.


The word Amar is a rich word that can mean to say, to command, the promise, the call, to challenge, the declare, or to demand (just to name some of the meanings).  Consider the possibility that Amar means all of those things.

God "promised, called out and commanded as if to challenge with a demanding declaration that light would appear" and then in response to God's Amar, "there was light".

That's how creation happened.  By God's command.

Now here's the really important part.  It does not say when it happened. It does not say how long it took.  It does not say what happened before God spoke.  Since God is eternal, there was a time before.  What it doesn't say is as important as what it does say. 

Why is that?  If our knowing when, how long, and what happened before, God would have given us that information.  He didn't.  Anyone who says it took a specified amount of time is guessing.

What God DID want us to know is that He hovered, moved, commanded with assurance, and the light appeared.

That's how.  

Ultimate Creation Question

One of my sons (at the age of 3) continually asked "who made God?"

Understanding that God is infinite and eternal is certainly difficult to comprehend.  While my son wrestles to understand, I struggled to know how to explain. 

Finally, I stopped trying to explain and I started thinking about God, feeling God everywhere, all the time (past, present and future) and forever.  I came to realize God surrounds us in time, space, and beyond what we can understand.  I talked to my son about the character of God and how God is around, in, through, up, over, and under. 

When God said, "I AM" that's what it meant. 

Everything. 

Speaking of Top Ten...

So, what questions do you have that you wrestle with?

Care to share?

On this journey, as we share our stories, and our questions we begin to realize what community is about.
If you have questions but you don't want to post them, feel free to email me (the email link is posted).

Love Covers All

When I do grief work as a Spiritual Director, I think one of the top ten questions I’ve been asked is, will I see my loved one again in heaven?  When we lose someone, we often have fear that our lifetime relationships with those we love have ended and we’ll not see our loved one again.  That is a lot to swallow. 

I remember asking my dad once when I was a teenager, what he thought heaven was like.  I liked his answer.  In a nutshell this is what he said:

1. Better than earth
2. Different than earth because God’s light shines all over heaven and permeates everything
3. Glorious
4. Filled with love, peace, joy, and all the fruit of the Spirit.
5. Contains all the good we experienced and felt on earth.

What was interesting is that he didn’t try to physically describe heaven.  Those of us from the Western Hemisphere tend to look to the physical aspects in order to describe our experiences.  While there are some references to heaven in scripture, for a total picture we need to look to the whole of scripture and consider the character and nature of God.  What do we know from scripture about the character of God related to the items above?

1. God is good and looks out for our good (Romans 8:28, Genesis 1, Revelation 21)
2. God is pure light and in Him there is no darkness (Amos 4:13, John 1:4-5, Acts 26:23, I Peter 2:9)
3. Glorious  (Deut. 4:31, Deut. 4:35-40)
4. God (Father, Son and Spirit) are the fruit of the Spirit (Gal. 5:22)
5. All the good.  Now, this just makes good sense.  God is good and every part of US and in us is from God.  So, when we see God all the darkness will be gone and the only thing that will remain is light and goodness from God’s love since in God there is no darkness at all. 

To answer the question, everything good will remain.  All the love will remain.  Love is stronger than death.

Through Tears and Laughter

While I am certain that laughter cures grief, I also believe that our tears cure our grief as well.  I have taken extensive grief training and as I studied grief and worked through my own grief, I came to realize that tears empty out my pain, and laughter helps me to regain my hope again.

I remember the first time I laughed after my dad died.  He died when I was 33 years old and he was only 60 years old.  The cancer spread very quickly and overtook his body and within just a few short months of the diagnosis, he was gone.  My dad had been my mentor and guide.  He knew me (sometimes better than I knew myself).  I honestly didn’t know how I would cope without his prayer covering and his wisdom.  Every time something happened, I immediately called my dad.

I cried lots of tears when my dad died, but eventually I remembered my dad’s helpful and generous attitude when I lost my keys or made some other silly mistake (I could write volumes about running over curbs…) and I was able to laugh again.

Once when I was in college (living 3 hours away) I called him at midnight when I locked my keys in my car.  (Yes, I do realize losing my keys or locking them in the car is a life-long pattern for me…LOL). 

He said, “I’m in KC.”

I said, “I know…what do I do?”

To that he replied, “I’M IN Kansas City.”

Silence. (I thought, so?)

Then he said, “Well, I guess you could go find “the guys” (John do you remember that night?) and they’ll know how to get into the car.”

It was after midnight, but I got into the boys dorm (things were different in those days) and we got a coat hanger and headed for the car.

All went fine until the police showed up.  That’s another story. At least that night I got into my car and got my keys and my purse back.

My Mom always knew if I called the house and asked for dad that ‘something was up’.  He never yelled, never blamed, he would just chuckle and say, “I’ll be right there.”

I had hoped that God would “heal me” of my obsession with lost keys (I figure it must be some sort of subconscious obsession since I seem to keep doing it), after my dad died, or someday, but he didn’t (or hasn't yet). 

As it turns out, God did this really cool miraculous thing.  After my dad died, my kids started saying to me before I locked the doors, “Mom, you got the keys?” 

After my kids went to college and later married, I wondered what I would do about the key thing.  Now, my daughter has my spare keys and frequently comes to let me in.  When she’s with me she still says, “do you have the keys?” before I shut the door. What’s so remarkable is that her attitude is as cheerful and charming as my dad’s always was.  Often, when she brings me the keys (even at 6:00 am) she is laughing (with me). 

My middle son and his wife gave me a key finder Christmas before last.

My youngest son and his wife gave me a wrist key ring so I can attach my keys to my body this Christmas. 

I see a theme emerging…

After tears, in laughter we resolve our grief (and our shortcomings).