I Am Eve

I am Eve
By Sandra Parker

I am Eve daughter of God, wife of man and mother of mankind. I live in paradise where crops grow freely and easily and taste sweet to the pallet. I do not thirst readily for in this garden flows a river (4 actually) that quenches my thirst with its sweet nectar.

I share this oasis with my husband from whom I am made. We spend our days caring for our home and its many, many inhabitants, and worshipping our creator. We work freely, play freely, and love freely and everything is very good.

In the evenings when the breeze blows fresh and cool we are joined by our creator; He walks beside us. He cares for us and provides for us. We spend the days worshipping Him, and the evenings we spend in complete adoration of each other because we love Him and He loves us.

Here inside our creator's paradise there is a hum. It is the sound of perfection; we are all living in perfect harmony with each other, in the perfection that is His creation.

If this is but a taste of His power, how much more wonder must exist! Imagine the possibilities!

In the midst of this place grows a tree. It is beautiful! It grows many strange and wondrous fruits! This tree is the only place they grow. They are each fat and plump, and they glisten with dew that falls upon them. I bet they taste wonderful.

As I gather food for my husband and myself, I hear a voice beckoning me. I look and spy the serpent crawling up that beautiful tree. His voice is smooth and seductive and it rings in my ears. His movements entice my very eyes as he climbs and crawls through the tree.

He speaks to me and tells me things I never realized before. He asks me if I can have any fruit from any tree in this garden. I tell him we can eat of any fruit except for this very tree. I tell him we are not to even touch it let alone eat from it, for if we do surely we will die!

He laughs at me, and he tells me that is lie. That the only reason God forbade us from eating of this tree is that we would then have His knowledge. We would have His wisdom and know all that He knows. I think to myself how wonderful it would be to know what God knows! What wonderful things we could accomplish! Why we would know why the grass grows green and why the birds sing. We could harvest our crops with hardly any effort at all. We could build our own paradise! The possibilities are limitless!

I am so overcome with excitement that I run right over and pluck the fruit from the tree! I hardly pay attention to what I am doing. I take this fruit back to my husband and give it to him. We both eat of the it and then suddenly things change.

A darkness falls over our garden which used to be so colorful and full of light. Now there are shadows lurking everywhere, and the vivid color is replaced with duller shades, that are not as bright. Our bodies become heavier as though an enormous load has been placed upon our shoulders. Great pains stir in our hearts, never before experienced. An air of oppression is present all around us!

I look at my husband and he at me and we know in an instant we are both naked. We are naked in the eyes of God and in the world and all we want to do is hide that nakedness so none can see what we have done. Our deed is tormenting us. Adam, in his nakedness, finds some fig leaves and we sew them together to cover our most vulnerable selves.

It is now evening and we hear the sound of our creator approaching in the garden. We run and hide from him. He calls out to us and asks a direct question, "What have you done?" to which we give indirect answers.

We had no idea the effects God's knowledge would have on us! Oh if only I had not listened to that wretched serpent!

God has passed His judgment and it is severe. We are banished from our garden, forced to live east of Eden in a land that is not friendly. We have to work very hard to get just one seed to grow! I am afraid because I feel life stirring within me yet I am condemned to great pains in bringing it forth. I no longer am equal to my mate. I now am under him as if a possession of his. He has the upper hand in our relationship. He provides well for me and treats me kindly but instead of belonging to myself, I now belong to him... I love Adam and do not mind belonging to him, I just wish we were more like partners, like before...

Life used to be care free, enjoyable, and fun. Now it is a hardship. Our creator is only present in one corner of our hearts. He is still near but not here. I have clothing which he made for us that I wear. I wear it not only because I need it but because He made it for us. It was the last thing He provided for us before He cast us out of the garden. I treasure this garment.

My creator speaks to me but no longer is His presence outwardly there. He speaks to me in my heart and I must seek Him out there. We are separated and yet He still remains close. I will praise Him forever for not ending my life that day in the garden. I will praise Him for his mercy, and because I love Him. Even here in this desolate place I still love Him.

We have paid an awful price for our transgression. I lament for my children and the children to come. They will not be able to know the Creator the way I have. Up close and personal. They will have to seek Him out in their hearts. If they do, they will find Him there.

I have my memories, memories of Paradise, memories of Him. How will my children know Him? Will He call them in their hearts as he does me and Adam? I can teach them to seek Him out inside the depths of their own darkness. And I will be glad they can look for Him.

One thing saddens me still and will for eternity. In the evening when the breeze is blowing cool and fresh, I miss walking beside my creator, basking in His glory. Now I walk alone except for that piece of my heart in which He inhabits. It is all I have left of paradise.