Tuesday night I stayed at the home of Larry and Robin Becker. They had hosted a reception in their home and had extended a welcome to me. Just pulling into the Becker’s home was a treat. Their property was a picture of what spring should look like. The lawn, the trees, the flowers, the placement of every rock; precise but inviting; exploding with life and color and richness.
Larry’s and Robin’s house is an advertisement for the business they’ve grown in Central Indiana. Becker Landscape has been around since Larry walked behind a lawn mower as a middle school student. Larry knows the business and he knows the trade. His home reflected every aspect of his commitment to excellence and quality.
“Then God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to work it and keep it.” ~ Genesis 2:15
Tuesday afternoon I got a glimpse of that garden. I smelled and saw the power of that beauty. God went to extraordinary lengths to create this wonder.
Unfortunately, I don’t live in the garden. I opted out. I felt entitled to more. I wanted control. It’s hard to imagine, but it’s true.
“…the Lord God sent him out from the garden of Eden to work the ground from which he was taken. He drove out the man, and at the east of the garden of Eden he placed the cherubim and a flaming sword that turned every way to guard the way to the tree of life.” ~ Genesis 3:23,24
So for now, I live in the wilderness. A place east of the garden. A place of struggle, of disease, of disappointment, of greed, of selfishness, and of death.
But every once in a while… just to remind me… God gives me a glimpse of Eden. Flashing across the barrenness of the desert I spot an oasis; a snapshot of what was and what will be.
“For the Lord comforts Zion; he comforts all her waste places and makes her wilderness like Eden, her desert like the garden of the Lord; joy and gladness will be found in her, thanksgiving and the voice of song.” ~ Isaiah 50:3
Every once in a while; sometimes in the face of a friend; sometimes in the act of a perfect stranger; sometimes in the sacrifice of a partner; sometimes in the service of a disciple; sometimes in the generosity of a colleague; sometimes in the laughter of a child… yes, and sometimes in the front yard of the Beckers… I get a glimpse of Eden; a snapshot of what God intended… and a vision of what will be.
We were made for that garden. Being at the Beckers reminded me.
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