Lost
EDEN - PARADISE
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would be a good thing, would it
not? How could knowing something
cause me harm? Why did I not have
the right to make up my own mind?”
The serpent wrapped his tail around
a piece of fruit hanging just above
my head and offered it to me. He
said, “See. Touch it. It will not hurt
you any more than it will me.”
Seeing that it did not harm him, I
reached out and took it in my hand.
Turning it over and over, in my hand I
studied it. Again, the serpent spoke,
“Just as I said, no harm has come
to you. God just does not want to
share His power with you, that is
why He told you not to taste.” Take
just one small bite. One bite could
not hurt, and you will see. Do this
if not for you, to please me that I
might know that you are my friend.”
Therefore, I took a bite. He said,
“See I told you. You are as wise as
God or me. We are equals.” I could
not feel any change, so I thought it
was all right. I was not any wiser, but
I did not want him to know. The fruit
was good to my taste and pleasing
for a while, so I took and gave my
husband. I wanted him to be as
pleased with me as the serpent. He
resisted at first, but I pleaded with
him to join me. Wanting to please
me, and wanting to be like God, he
also took a bite.
When Adam took that bite,
everything changed, and we saw
ourselves as we truly were. We
knew good and evil. Before we had
known only Good. Now we knew
pain, heartache, emptiness, and
fear. The serpent had lied. This did
hurt. Maybe not at first but now I
was aware of what sin felt like. It was
a black hole, sucking life from my
body leaving me broken, hopeless
in a deep lightless pit. No matter
how I tried, I could not wash this
film of evil from my skin or my mind.
I could not free myself from its hold
on my life. I was aware of how much
damage I had done but it was too
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late to take it back.
Before, when Adam and I looked
at each other, it was in love and
beautiful. Now, I felt dirty, and
vulnerable. We tried to cover our
bodies with fig leaves. We did not
want the other to behold our shame.
Would Adam ever trust me again? I
had betrayed him and nagged him
into betraying God too.
We felt the breeze blowing across
the garden, and we knew- that God
was coming. For the first time, we
felt apart from the Lord God. I was
afraid of what He would think and
do. Why did I listen to the serpent?
God had never done anything that
had hurt me, or caused me pain. I
had known only joy, and pleasure
in His presences. I had