Back to Eden, Part 5

     For there was a glimmer of hope.  Not all of her children had given themselves over to wickedness.  There was one strain of righteousness – the line from her son Seth.  Seth, the gift from a loving God to help ease the pain of the son lost to violence.  Seth could not fill the place in her heart reserved for Abel, but he was an answer to her prayers, a revival of her hopes.  In Seth she saw the same heart for God that she had seen in Abel.  The destiny she had seen in Abel’s eyes could now be seen in Seth’s, and that spark was passed down to his descendents.  This was the part of the family known for calling on the name of the Lord.  As Cain’s family became rich and famous for their livestock, tools, and instruments, Seth’s family became – at times scornfully – renowned for their righteous ways.  There was a ray of light in the darkness.  Her pain at seeing so many of her children and children’s children fall into the trapdoor of sin that she herself had opened was matched only by her joy at seeing some of her family make the right choices.  Sin crouched at the door to every man, woman and child’s heart – but each and every one of them had the choice to either let it in or keep it out.  As Eve watched generation after generation of Seth’s family turn their hearts to God amongst the wicked living of the rest of mankind, her hope for the destiny of humanity rose, as did her prayers that somehow her family would be delivered and one day get back to Eden.

            As Eve lay next to Adam, her partner of over 900 years, she pondered all these things.  Eden.  Paradise. Sin. Expulsion.  Survival.  Marriage. Motherhood.  Generational blessings, generational curses.  And, most of all, hope.  Through it all, she still clung to the hope, love and mercy she knew came from the Father.  Surely He would not leave them or forsake them.  He had never abandoned them, not since the moment of creation.  It was them that had wandered away, that had traded away everything for nothing.  But deep down, in that place within her that mirrored the image of God, she knew that even now, He was weaving the threads of time and eternity together to form a Master Plan of rescue and restoration.  That was the hope that kept her going, day in and day out.  There was no point in survival if there was nothing later to live for.  She knew in her heart of hearts that Jehovah still had great things for mankind…she only wondered if she would live long enough to see it…she was so very, very tired, after all…

            As Eve drifted off to sleep, she was suddenly overwhelmed by a sense of warmth – a familiar warmth, but one she had not experienced in a long, long time.  It evoked things within her that had gone dormant long ago, and a sheer joy slowly awakened her senses to sensations not felt in centuries.  She opened her eyes to find herself surrounded by a great overpowering light.  Suddenly her body felt a strength it had not felt in ages and ages.  The pain in her hands and knees and bones fell away.  She felt like leading for joy, but she was too overcome with awe at the warmth and light surrounding her, warmth and light that were so overwhelmingly familiar.  Then, in the midst of the light, a man stepped forward.  At first she thought it was Adam, for he was that familiar to her, but in a moment she realized this was no man bound to the earth.  His scarred face shone with lovingkindness, and as He held out a pierced hand to her, his eyes shone with a glory she immediately recognized.  Although she had never seen this man, she knew Him, nonetheless, and with complete joy and peace she took His hand and took her first step into the destiny she had always been meant for.  With one hand He helped her up as the other arm encircled her shoulders. 

            “Welcome home, my love,” said her King, “welcome home at last…”

“Eve? Eve?”

“Grandmother?”

“She’s not waking up!”

“Is she moving?”

“No, she won’t respond at all!  GRANDMOTHER!”

“I think she’s gone.”

“Gone?  But look at her!  She looks so happy!  More alive than she ever has!”

“But she’s not breathing!  I’m telling you, she’s gone!”

“Look at her expression…I’ve never seen her so peaceful…”

Adam leaned down to shut his partner’s old, tired eyes and sighed a sigh of relief and joy.  “I have, my children,” he said with eyes shining.   “I’ve seen her with such an expression.  Many, many years ago.” 

And the mother of mankind found her way back in the arms of her King.