When they glanced at that fruit

What did You feel? 

Did Your heart tremble, 

Your Spirit squeal? 

Did You want to jump out and shout

‘Don’t do that!’ 

Did you want to squash that tree

Down to the ground

And pull out those roots and throw it far

Over the sea and into 

Outer space? 

When they listened to lies 

Tied their hearts up in knots

Did You just want to hide

Did You feel the first spot

Of questioning distrust  

Did it surprise You the pain 

You suddenly felt 

Did it hit you like rocks 

To the heart 

When you found out

What you already knew:

The only one You could depend on was

You?

When they held out their hand 

And took the first bite 

You knew of their weakness

But did you think they just might

Have lasted a bit longer in your

Perfect paradise 

In the place you had designed

And spent eternity dreaming

Of exploring

And walking

And holding of hands

The marvels laid out

In laundry-fresh lands?

When they had swallowed that fruit

The sweetness gone from their lips 

Did Your heart take in all You had lovingly 

Beautifully, carefully created 

And want to make it all

Instantly, spontaneously combust? 

Did your heart ache so much You stood and You suffered

Right there, right then? 

Did all of creation gasp? 

Did You? 

Because love suffers greatly, love suffers greatly. 

The feeling of unity ripped from Your dreams

One heart and one passion 

Now Yours and theirs  

Decay setting in and 

On top of it all 

Those beautiful bodies 

Of those beautiful children

Are hiding away

Heavy with guilt 

Did you think about turning away right then? 

Is that why it took You until evening to come and walk in the garden again? 

Did You have to let Your anger subside as

You chose to reach out and love

In spite of the turned backs

And hidden skin 

Suddenly deemed not good enough to be in 

Hiding from intimacy with You 

Now fear of Your touch

Covered up with leaves that told of so much

Was killing those animals a vent for your anger?

Did harming Your creation turn Your cheeks soggy wet? 

Did dressing Your children with new robes ease some of the pain? 

When they let You come close to dress them again? 

And my heart that breaks at the pain of rejection

The desire each person has to go their own direction 

I only know how to look to My Maker  

Asking myself at Your example: 

Will I embrace the divine patience 

You had on that day

Knowing that Full Restoration 

Is not too far away? 

Thank you for joining me today as I process some feelings of rejection.  Whenever I feel something deeply I wonder where it is an opportunity to know Him and experience the fellowship of His suffering and that's what birthed this poem.  

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