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Get Over It

Once upon a time there lived a great prince. He was made from the dirt of earth by the greatest King who made all things. He was given a great garden set on top of the world. The garden was full of beauty. The garden was teeming with life. The King gave this as a gift to the man. He gave it to him with the intention of setting the man out to expand the garden over the rest of the world. The prince was allowed to eat of all the trees in his garden. But there was one tree and this one was not yet to be food for the prince; he was to wait until he was ready. Now this great King had fought a war in the heavens against the great Dragon. This Dragon was once the greatest and noblest of his kind. But this Dragon coveted the Kings kingdom and gathered an army together to bind the great King and steal his Kindgom. But the Dragon failed and the King cursed him and threw him out of the deep heavens. This Dragon beheld the making of the man. And he saw that man was made in the image of the great God. The Dragon was still at war and he wanted to use this man to fight a new battle against God. The Dragon was known as the cunningest of all beasts. He came to the garden and found man's wife in the midst of it. He walked with the women and asked her questions. He brought the women to the forbidden tree and convinced that if she ate of it she would be like God, her great and awesome creator. The women did want to be like God and when she looked on the fruit and saw that it was pleasant fruit, she ate of it. She gave the fruit to her husband and he ate of it. God came to man and women and spoke words of judgement. Man had started a war with God. And he would continue to fight with God and all the earth would be at war with him as well. The land would be hard and would not easily yield to his hand. Women would be fruitful but she would bear children with much pain and suffering. She would also be at war with her husband and try to rule him. All was changed that day. But God is good and loves man. He promised that he would send a prince that would be a new gardener. He would be one that would end the war between man and God and bring peace to the earth. He would do what the first man failed to do; he would make the whole earth a garden city. And he would fill the streets with the knowledge of the Lord. He would be the true Son of God and he would bear the weight of all mans sin and war against the great God.

This advent story is beautiful again and again. It is in Advent that the promise made to Eve appears through her curse of childbirth to Mary. It is hope fulfilled. It is the beginning of the end. The unmaking of the world and the remaking of the new world.

It is a wonder that we so easily forget who we are. We are called to be son's of the living God. We are also called to something. We are on a journey. We are going somewhere. We are running a race. We are fighting a fight. Our sights are set on things above. Right. Check. We know who we where in Adam. We know who we are in the new Adam. So why do we get so bogged down when we stumble in the race. Why do get so discouraged when we loose a match in the fight? Why do we wallow when we find our gaze shifted down instead of up? I often think that psycho-analyzing the situation, just makes a bad situation worse. So instead of asking why am I this way, why can't I just stop, why, why, why? Why don't we just get over it. Why don't we go to the cross again and lay our sins at the feet of Jesus. Why don't we let him take care of it. Why don't we move on and do something good with our time and thoughts. Why don't we remember that God is working the old Adam out and the new Adam in. Why don't we shift our gaze heavenward.

All right this is the plan. We will get up quickly when we stumble. We will not make a big deal out of a little deal. We will let Jesus carry our load when it is heavy. We will fight the good fight and not tire of doing good.

So go on and do something good for your family. And when you fall short, go to God quickly and continue on. Be a strong soldier and finish the task. Be strong in God's might and watch Him transform your heart into a beautiful garden.

Blessings,

Erin