What if …
before all things began, there was extravagant love, astonishing beauty, perfect joy and great majesty?
In a place without time,
when nothing was that we understand.
No earth or sky, nor cheetah or swan.
No burning sphere of fire for lighting our days as there weren’t any.
What if the genesis of this masterpiece birthed in a realm with a castle, a court, a Family and love so divine.
What if?
Will you dance with me through these thoughts, just consider the possibilities?
What if the family that shared all this wanted more? What if the abundance they had was overflowing? What if it couldn’t be contained? Has your heart ever felt it would burst apart with the joy you feel, with the love you know? Has it ever, in any small measure? And if it hasn’t, do you ever wish it would?
What if They wanted more and so they started drawing pictures, singing songs. Like Bert in Mary Poppins, drawing chalk pictures on the pavement, pictures of happiness inviting you in and through to the other side, to their intentions.
What if you could have that, a place of just wonder that you could enter into and sing out your day and watch it unfold before you.
What if they drew a picture all darkness, a vast canvas waiting for the shadows and light, colours and depth. What if one blew stars out his mouth, huge light bubbles to land with a splat on the page, again and again, so many you couldn’t see which one was first, where they all began and merged into a sea of twinkles, him laughing hard and more light emanating right out in all the joy of it. “Good! That’s great!” They said. “Do it again!”
What of water bursting out like from a womb, birthing, birthing, splashes of joy, pocketing the excess in the upper echelons.
What if a King?
Mighty in power, majestic in beauty, passionate in love, in generosity, abounding in wisdom, in wealth, in creativity and pure like white gold that you can see through. And what if He wanted to share it all with…everyone.
What if a day when it was called into being. When it all began, exploding forth in waves and mountains, trees and gardens.
What if one day lions roared and lambs laid down, monkeys swung and the beheamoth plummeted the salty depths.
What if in all their plans there was a man. Molded right up out of the dirt and HE bent down, breathing, suscitating into those newly formed lungs.
LIFE! Spirit wind.
Gasp!
Eyes opening, not a Pinnochio wishing he was real but a now man reaching out, touching, seeing the One who imagined him now leaning over, lifting him to his feet, holding him as he breathes and smells, feels all of it.
What if?
What if the new man walked all through the mountains and low down places, to the edge of the water and gazed up, up into the vast expanse of sky.
What if he found everything there was and yet remained lonely. What if he called every, living creature, spoke to it, touched it; stroked the mane of the golden lion, touched the silvery scales of the lizard and felt the breeze rustle the feathers on the eagles back.
What if he rolled on the ground in a huge, happy hug with a brown bear and received the slurpy kisses of a pup, yet couldn’t find what he was looking for.
What if he sat sad on a glistening shore and wished something, someone else was there.
What if the King called everything He made GOOD! Every day. But on the day of man He said for the first time “It is NOT good…” because He knew that yearning was woven deep through the man he formed, to have another like himself to walk and talk with.
What if the King really did notice and breathed a deep sleep over the man. What if he ever so gently extracted love from within him. What if he opened this crowning one and made two. What if he knew this would happen and just wanted the hunger to come first, for the one to realize that alone was not enough, that there was another to complete the story. What if this was just the beginning of the yearning.
What if when the man awoke from that sleep he saw her and knew.
This! The half he’d been looking for was found. I wonder; was his side still tender where she’d separated from him.
What do you think as the slumber lifted from his eyes and he awoke to the call of the Star Breather. What if he saw her, rose up and stood just looking, breathing, as he gazed upon the loveliness of one who was like himself..hair and shape and gentleness, but different. And what if he felt that something had gone missing from himself but was found all packaged up in her; and wondering what to name this one that captivated him, removed the breath from his lungs. What if the King had just condensed His glory into the oneness of two and called it Very Good?
What if that wondering man did gaze upon this answer to loneliness’ lament and poured out his appreciation with these words…
“THIS is now bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh. She SHALL be called Woman because she was taken out of Man.”
What if that wasn’t a solomn emotionless vow but a wrenching cry of “WOW!!!” And a wide eyed glowing appreciation of the perfect completion of his hopes.
What if at that moment the Family said “This is very good INDEED!
What if then They led Man and Woman on a sampling tour of their home; a taste and see of what I’ve made for thee.
What if they walked with anticipation from greenest glade to valley shade then mountain’s perfect top and sampling all the way OREGANO! LAVENDAR! NUTMEG! SPIKENARD! FRANKINCENSE!
Tasting, touching, learning…skipping to the next plant “What’s this one Abba? Smiles as he pinches off a leaf and squeezes until the sagey aroma permeates the air. “Use this for seasoning” and its medicinal properties are strong too but what if they didn’t need to know that then, as all was well in the Garden.
What if the tree busting with full, heavy orange balls let one drop as they strolled by and They nodded when Woman looked wonderingly in question at them. What if Star Breather picked one off it’s leafy bough and tearing tangy skin back with whitest teeth, he exposed the squirting, orange inside. What if He gently pulled it open and smilingly handed each of them a piece, biting deep into His section and the juice running down His Kingly chin was permission for them to taste and see.
What if THEY Loved to see their New People enjoy the succulent orange, taste the musky herb and revel in the sweet water slurped from cupped hands over a mountain stream.
What if?
What if They talked about giving the New People dominion over birds and butterflies, cattle and crayfish and creeping things, all the earth. What if this meant authority to steward responsibly, to use and lead, respect and manage well.
What if The Family lead them to a flat valley field with a tumbling river on one side, forested mountain on the other and all they had created represented in that one local ecosystem. What if they waiting until the light governing the day had diminished and the lesser lights were bright sparks against the black and HE flung HIS arms wide saying “It is good!” And He turned to them, peaceful, joyful, magnificent and said “Now, be fruitful and multiply. Fill the earth and subdue it.”
And what if Man and Woman had no embarrassment at being made and called forth without covering? What if there was simple, childish innocence? Joyful children racing bare naked across the soft sand, feeling it between their toes, touching the water, tasting its newness, revelling in just being, unfettered by even the slightest whim of concern. Peace, Joy, Freedom,Innocence.
Just, what if?
*
What if there was a conversation that first day, before the Woman became. What if They called the Man close at one moment and with seriousness deepening their voices said “You have been given ALL of this to partake of. All the fruit trees and herbs will be good for you to eat, and for the animals. BUT (and here there was a pause), look at that tree there! It holds within it the knowledge of good and evil. DON’T EVER EAT FROM IT OR YOU WILL SURELY DIE!
What if the man had no fear at this warning. No knowledge. His awareness only of the King, His goodness and provision. Trust his innocent heart position.
**
What if another being, golden beauty beyond imagination, whose hubris heart was darkening, intentions selfish and destructive.
What if?