I was thinking the other day about Adam and his plight as the first man. Not for any reason in particular, I was hanging out at the farm and realized that I had not spoken to anyone out loud in about 29 hours, and that happened to be the lady at the bank. She was very nice, but I know she talks to people daily and probably wouldn’t remember our conversation hours after we spoke. But if I was the only other person on Earth, I know she would remember and probably hang on every word I said no matter who I was or what I looked like.
It got me to thinking about what was it like when Adam would talk? Who did he talk to? He was alone a long time considering He didn’t meet Eve until after he named all the animals according to Moses text in Genesis. I’ve had many bonehead discussions with women many times. You know the ones… saying the worst possible thing and stumbling over my words and then watching her walk away. Adam didn’t strike out in his conversations with Eve. I mean, even if he did say something bonehead, apparently Eve found it an endearing trait and loved him any way. I mean they DID have children and lived a long life together. I have to wonder if they really were attracted to each other or did they just settle because they were the only game in town? So what did they look like? Did he look like Brad Pitt? Was she just a super hottie? Maybe they were very average people, but because she was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen and he had such a vast and interesting job naming all the animals and they totally intrigued the other, they just could not stop looking at each other. Who knows? But the one thing I do know is they were naked before God and they were unashamed. I can’t even begin to imagine such a relationship with God, walking along in the garden, having all of your needs met and yet not ever longing for anything more as the relationship you have with God is all-consuming. I mean I think about my needs more than anything. My prayer life is a lot like this, “God? Fix this… God? I need that… God? Could you make this happen or that happen” I submit to you that most of us think like this because we always trying to fix the things in our lives that would essentially make our lives good. Seriously, if you think about it, we are ALWAYS looking for the answer to our problems during every waking hour. I have thought about this a long time and it’s clear to me that somewhere in my mind there seems to be an imperfection or a virus that keeps telling my brain that when I get my problems fixed then my life will resolve and I’ll experience some euphoric sense of being. Will my life really be better if all my problems are solved? I have all my work finished, I have nothing else to do except come to town and write this out and it’s like there is still something missing. My mind keeps saying “if you had more money… If all your debts were wiped out… if you had a beautiful wife… if you lost a hundred pounds… if you were a published writer… if you were a better father…” and on and on and on it goes. Seriously??
The problem I have concluded that with all this thinking about what could be and what is going to happen, I have turned 42 and have 4 kids and a van payment and rent that is due and part of my life is gone and I have nothing to show for it except the lines on my forehead. I have a few collected assets but I mean the memories and the fun times and photos of a full life I don’t have. I guess that is why people win the lottery and realize it was all meaningless to begin with. Why are we programmed like this? The happiest people I meet realize that life is more than accomplished work and long hours or building equity in our 401K. They are content with what they have and are happy with where they are in the “moment”.
It must have been like this for Adam in the Garden before the fall. He was content at every moment, he loved life and probably was amazed at everything God showed him about the beauty of creation. Everyday something fascinating and new came along and he was just blown away by beauty or the excitement of it all, and God was there, reveling in Adam’s enjoyment of it all.
Sometimes God will stop me in the hustle of life and show me something like a sunset or a waterfall or even a squirrel at play. These are the things God loves. Simple? Maybe so, but God is not interested in the euphoria of the stock market or the insanity of the vastness of the internet. NASA sends a man to the moon and we call it remarkable or unbelievable. God makes a rabbit and says it is “good”. Scientists figure out the genetic code and they call it phenomenal... He spoke the sunlight into being and said it was “good"... go figure..right? But for me to stop in my busy life for five minutes and see the beauty of the trees in bloom in the yard at the farm?? God simply whispers “I did this just for you”. I am his bride, his love and he digs it when I stop and shake my head in amazement and tell him I am dazzled or wowed by something great he has done. My sin isn’t his great interest, he is busy wooing me. Calling me daily to enter in to the place where it is just he and I. Sure we could plant churches, and build missions, and donate money and help at orphanages but those are just the busy work that we do everyday. His greatest joy is for us to find him walking in the garden daily, completely unashamed in his presence so he might just love on us. That’s the place where worship happens. Mornings in the mirror when we put on make-up or on our commute to work or when we stop in our business and just remember him and thank him for all he has done for us. That’s where life happens for us. It’s not the things I have collected or built or the money I’ve saved, but it’s the look on the faces of my children as they witness the grandeur of the Grand Canyon and the knowledge of knowing that it pleases my Father to see us enjoying him in his creation as well.
I would bet that if God came down in human form, he would visit the park and sit on a bench in the shade and admire the children playing on the toys in the playground. I can imagine he would sit and smile and realize what's the most important things on this Earth and I'll bet you anything those things can't be found on the home shopping network : )
