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Previous Challenge Entry (Level 2 – Intermediate)
Topic: Garden (09/07/06)
In the Garden of Eden Adam and Eve enjoyed perfect fellowship with God until they allowed sin to enter in. When that happened, this wonderful place of peace and joyful interaction with the Creator disappeared. Or did it? “Early settlers in the Willamette Valley where I live, upon first seeing the Valley, often said, “It looks like the Garden of Eden.” You probably know of other places that have been described that way. Perhaps you feel that such places are beautiful, but hardly Eden. Try thinking of Eden as a metaphor for a peaceful life and you realize that God has provided “Edens” for us today to help us shut out the world and renewed oneness with Him. The problem is that in today’s world of turmoil and distraction, it is often difficult stay centered on Him and to obey the command, “Be still, and know that I am God.” (Psalms 46:10, KJV). Sometimes it is hard to hear His voice above the din and roar of our everyday lives.
So we have been provided with places where we can go to listen to Him and renew our spirits. Maybe it’s a walk through an old-growth forest where we stand quietly and listen the wind blow through the trees. Perhaps it a place where we enjoy the sound of a bubbling brook, or the roar of a waterfall. Some of us have places where we can marvel at how sunlight sparkles on the water of a mountain lake, or dances off the spray of the ocean’s waves. God gives us these quiet places today as reminders of the peace and serenity we can have with Him as our center, just as Adam and Eve had before they fell. Such places, of course, do not need to be a nature setting; they can be in a quiet corner of your home. But, when we stand at the edge of an impressive canyon, or gaze in wonder at a snow-capped mountain, the ugliness of the sinful world disappears; we stand in awe at His majesty and renew our oneness with Him. We then realize that God has provided each of us with our own special Eden where we can “be still” with Him, and thus find peace and renewal.
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Member Comments
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Jan Ackerson
09/16/06
What wonderful advice, full of serenity.

I encourage you to make use of the "preview" feature before you submit, so that you can see any formatting problems (like lack of spaces between paragraphs).

I'd love to see your Wilamette Valley some day.