The Garden of Eden Playground

“A playground!” The happy voices of my children rang out from the back seat as I swung the car into a parking space and cut the engine.  It was a new playground for them, huge, and full of brightly colored slides and ramps.  A veritable Garden of Eden.

But, like all such gardens, there was one “forbidden fruit.”  Off to the side (yes, way over there on the right) was a tiny sandbox with a digger.  Because they were about to set off on a six-hour car ride, I told them not to play in the sand. 

What, then, was the one and only thing my daughter wanted to do? Quite obviously, the sand digger!  It made me so sad to see her joy evaporate as she fixated on that one prohibited option.

You see, of course, the analogy to Adam and Eve.  But my daughter’s actions that day revealed to me my own disposition to pine for the one thing I don’t have while forgetting, or ignoring, or dismissing all the wonderful things I do have in my life. 

God has given us richly all things to enjoy.  That sentiment is from I Timothy 6:17.  But it’s not the things themselves for which we are to be thankful.  The whole verse goes like this, “Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment.”  We are to enjoy God.  We are to hope in Him.  We are to trust Him.  When I lose sight of this, I am truly lost. 

God has indeed given us so much to enjoy.  A mantra at my house is, “Be thankful for the things that you have.”  A mom friend was lamenting today all the “unplayed-with” toys at her house.  Our children have so much.  I see this clearly in their lives.  But it’s true in mine, too.  We don’t wonder where our next meal will come from.  We don’t worry that we will face the winter elements without coats or shelter.  We have food, raiment.  But are we content?

And when we are not content, when we chase elusive idols of happiness and self pleasure, we find ourselves miserable and, often, eating the forbidden fruit.

But that’s not where God wants us.  He wants us to play on the slides, to rejoice in the beauty of a sunny, late-September Friday, to race and romp as carefree children.   We do this as we hope in Him, as we trust in Him. As we put our confidence in Him.  He alone can carry that trust and never fail.