December 17 - Memories

The LORD God commanded the man, saying, "From any tree of the garden you may eat freely; but from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat from it you will surely die" – Genesis 2:16,17.

The Christmas season has the effect of making us reminisce. Our minds cull over the years that have gone, the people who were in our lives, and the things we did together – some good, and some regretful. That has been me this week. But it hasn't been Christmas alone that has been foremost in my mind.

Way back in my mind is the memory of one beautiful autumn day as a child, catching a bus with my brother into the countryside – we were on an adventure (actually our destination was only four miles out of town, but I thought we were on a safari!). I was six years old, and Ray was thirteen, my hero – we defended each other through thick and thin. We lived not far from the sea front and should have been spending the day on the sands, but when he suggested the countryside – well, it was a no brainer!

I had seven brothers and one sister, and out of us all Ray was the rebel of the family – no-one kenw what he was going to get up to next. This day turned out to be one of those days. The bus ride was an education as Ray aired his 'knowledge' of all things rural....I'm still trying to figure out some of the information, but at the time to me, if he said it, it was as solid as the Oxford dictionary.

We travelled as far as our ticket money allowed then clambered off the bus to investigate the village we had landed in. I remember it well. A beautiful, peaceful atmosphere with flowers everywhere, in the hedgerows and gardens, and there was the clearest blue sky I think I have ever seen. Yes, it was a lovely day – then, Ray spotted the apples – gorgeous, ripe eating apples, just ready for picking.

I like to think he tried to resist temptation, but if he did it was a flashpast event because the next thing I knew he was climbing over the fence....he was going scrumping, and to make it worse, he was intending to scrump the local vicar's fruit! It wasn't that he didn't know it was wrong, he did, because he wouldn't allow me to follow him (I always stuck to his heels), but I was to keep look-out and warn him if I heard the vicar coming – apart from that he said, I would tell the truth if I was questioned when we got home. Sounded logical to me at the time, but I didn't realise that meant he was already planning to lie to save his skin, and I was an equally guilty partner by keeping 'watch' .

Centuries ago there was another garden – beautiful, peaceful atmosphere with flowers everywhere....not a cloud in the sky. There was also another tree with gorgeous, ripe fruit hanging from it's boughs, juicy and ready to eat. This time the Vicar was God, and the garden was the Garden of Eden – the fruit forbidden to eat as it was the Tree of Knowledge, of good and evil (Genesis 2:9; 16,17). This was the start of temptation, and Eve like my brother, fell hook line and sinker for the whispered words of Satan, picked the fruit, took a bite then offered it to Adam who, by his own choice did the same (Genesis 3:1-11). Did Adam take a bite of the fruit because it was offered to him by someone he admired and loved – as I did? Was it that he didn't want to be parted from Eve if he stood his ground and obeyed the command God had given to him? Was Eve more precious to him than his loyalty to Jesus?

Rules are there for a reason. Break them and there will be a penalty (Genesis 3:14-19). Keep them and peace and happiness is ours. In the case of me and Ray, the penalty was the sharp end of my mother's tongue, straight to bed, and grounded for the rest of the week. How did she know about the scrumping? No, neither of us said a word, but my brother's stomach ache gave him away – he was in agony!

The effect of disobedience is like the ripples created by a stone thrown into a stream. So many people are hurt and disillusioned by our actions. We fail ourselves, we fail those who love and trust us....but above all, we fail God.

My choice of music today is “God Never Stopped Loving Me” - Keith Rath. Click on the picture to listen.