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Sometimes bed feels perfect. This was one of those times. The linens, changed yesterday, smelled of fresh summer breezes. My head was cradled just right in the fluffiest of pillows. I opened my eyes to sun rays and my ears to the sweet singing of house wrens and - was that a vireo?
Even before opening my eyes though, my nose had picked up the heavenly aroma of rich coffee and freshly baked cinnamon rolls. I luxuriated in my first awake moment of Saturday morning. Was I in heaven?
Tim, oh wonderful husband of mine, appeared in the doorway smiling at me. He rested one big hand on the doorframe and the other lay gently on little Colette’s shoulder. She still wore her kitten pajamas, her sleep disheveled curls falling all over her head. Mr. Holmes padded over Colette’s little feet as he trotted into the room.
“Hey Hon, hey mommy!” Tim and Colette joined me on the bed and we shared rolling hugs and kisses.
Mr. Holmes pushed his nose into my face and I stroked his silky Basset ear.
Thank you, oh Lord, I thought, I am so richly blessed. Truly, sometimes we can experience heaven on earth.
Unable to contain herself any longer, Colette announced, “Mommy, we made breakfast for you! I put the sugar in your coffee!”
“You did, did you?” I tickled her and made raspberries on her belly until she squealed. “You are the sugar in my coffee!” I told her.
“Tim, this is the nicest thing!” I kissed him. “Thank you, but it’s almost Father’s Day, Mother’s Day is long over - what’s this all about?” I asked.
“It’s just because. Because we were up and we love you and we wanted to see your reaction. Do you want breakfast in bed or somewhere else?” He patted a spot for Mr. Holmes to join us.
“Wherever we can all eat together,” I answered happily.
After breakfast, Tim sent Mr. Holmes outside where we watched our hound go sniffing on one of his detective missions.
We cleaned up the kitchen and got dressed. Then while Colette played happily with her baby doll, I took time for a devotional. Interestingly, it was about Eden and how Adam and Eve were sent out of paradise because of sin.
I have to admit, I had trouble with this. I could understand disobedience being disappointing to God. I could understand the need for discipline - but being expelled forever, or until Adam and Eve could be washed clean of their sin? That seemed to me to be kind of severe.
After praying, the whole tone of my personal ‘heaven’ seemed to change. Tim wanted to get the grass cut, Colette wanted me to play with her and Holmes bellowed at the back door.
Tim got there first opening the door wide. Colette put her delicate little hand on the dog’s head, patting him ever so close to - what in the world was that crawling on him?
In disgust, I screamed, “Don’t let him in!”
I shoved the door shut, forcefully pushing Mr. Holmes outside. “Didn’t you see that bone he had in his mouth? That thing was crawling with maggots!” I shivered.
Tim shook his head like I was a crazed woman, Colette started to cry.
“Just throw the bone away,” suggested Tim. “There’s no reason to keep Holmes out.”
Colette cried louder.
“There’s every reason,” I insisted. “This is our home! Do you want maggots in here? I will not compromise my standards. I’m not selling out. I love that dog as much as either of you - maybe more because he was mine first - but he has to stay out until I know he’s washed clean of every last lousy maggot!”
Tim smoothed Colette’s hair and said to me, “Ok, sure, of course.”
Wait, did he think I was over-reacting?
And then a light went on for me. That’s why Adam and Eve couldn’t be in paradise anymore! God couldn’t sell out either. God could no more live with sin than I could cuddle up with a maggot.
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