Identity- Part 2 (It began in the garden)
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I absolutely am in love with this quote by C.S. Lewis. It speaks to the wonderment I had as a little girl. In the 70’s, filled with playful curiosity & I’d play outside for hours in the summer role playing adventurous scenes with my siblings or the neighbour kids. I heard about the Garden of Eden in Sunday school before the fall, but it didn’t seem attainable. Regardless, little me would dream of a world beyond the natural realm.
Lost in the Garden
Since the, I lost a sense of that wonderment and childlike faith for about 20 years when I was in my pre-teen, teen and young adult years. Our world has a way of doing that when we are looking for love, acceptance, security and significance in all things other than the Source of Life. The enemy of our souls whole purpose is to rob, kill, steal and absolutely destroy us (John 10:10a), where Jesus came to give us Life to the full (John 10:10b), restoring all that was lost.
Found in the Garden
When I turned 26, I had a profound encounter with my Creator. Life changing. Transformational. It changed the trajectory of my life no doubt. For those who know me well, or have heard me speak- they will know exactly what I am talking about. For the sake of time and word count, hah! (yes, I can get a wee wordy in my blogs, so I am working on that friend- thanks for your patience. . .) After that experience, I regained that sense of childlike faith and wonderment. For years I was hiding behind masks, I was going through my own identity crises.
Our Questions about Identity
I’ve shared about that profound spiritual impact moment that healed my wounded heart for over 20 years now. That intimate moment with God through my prayers and the spiritual outpouring of grace began to answer the desperate cry for answers as to q’s that I wrestled for years like “What is the purpose for life”, “why was I born”, “Is God real”, and if God was real, Jesus real, the Holy Spirit real, “am I forgiven?” Do I even forgive myself”?
God’s Questions for Us
We have questions in life for God, and yet, have you ever pondered the fact that God has questions for us too? The first two questions God asked of Adam was in the garden of Eden.
“At that moment their eyes were opened, and they suddenly felt shame at their nakedness. So they sewed fig leaves together to cover themselves. When the cool evening breezes were blowing, the man and his wife heard the Lord God walking about in the garden. So they hid from the Lord God among the trees. Then the Lord God called to the man, “Where are you? At that moment their eyes were opened, and they suddenly felt shame at their nakedness. So they sewed fig leaves together to cover themselves. When the cool evening breezes were blowing, the man and his wife heard the Lord God walking about in the garden. So they hid from the Lord God among the trees. Then the Lord God called to the man, “Where are you?” He replied, “I heard you walking in the garden, so I hid. I was afraid because I was naked.” “Who told you that you were naked?” the Lord God asked. “Have you eaten from the tree whose fruit I commanded you not to eat?” (Genesis 3:7-11)
There are phenomenal studies related to Creation and the garden of Eden which unpacks what each part of the Creation narrative represents for humanity. (Message me for some recommendations.) For the sake of my blog today, I wanted to convey how profound it is to ponder those same questions He asked Adam in the garden, He is is asking you and I today:
“Where are you?” & “Who told you?” ( Genesis 3:9 & 11)
Do we know where we are spiritually, our purpose in life? Are we hiding in some way or living under the cover of shame? I’ll write on that topic another time, but for now, I believe humanity and especially our culture has a spotlight on this theme of identity this year. Who are we? Whose voices do we listen to that dictates our sense of worth and dignity? There can be an open door for revival in our culture if we allow the “King of Glory” to enter our own hearts for a much needed reset. We are in an identity crises that affects every aspect of society.
Living Gateways
Doors and gates speak to me quite often. When it is "open", it beckons you to enter. Or when it is closed, we have a decision to open it. It takes faith to believe that what is behind the gate can be trusted. When I toured Butchart Gardens, I came across a gate. I sensed the Holy Spirit remind me of the truths of Psalm 24 where King David’s praise to God is an invitation each and every day for us to seek to know God and be known by Him. When we "Rest" in the garden of God’s heart for us and allow Christ to come into our lives by opening the gateway of our souls to Him, THEN we find the greatest weapon in the battle for our very lives, our identity, our faith and REST in Him the “ageless doors of destiny.”
Gate photo taken at Butchart Gardens in British Columbia https://www.butchartgardens.com
“God claims the world as his.
Everything and everyone belongs to him!
He’s the one who pushed back oceans
to let the dry ground appear,
planting firm foundations for the earth.
Who, then, ascends into the presence of the Lord?
And who has the privilege of entering into God’s Holy Place?
Those who are clean—whose works and ways are pure,
whose hearts are true and sealed by the truth,
those who never deceive, whose words are sure. . .
Pause in his presence
So wake up, you living gateways!
Lift up your heads, you ageless doors of destiny!
Welcome the King of Glory,
for he is about to come through you.
You ask, “Who is this Glory-King?”
The Lord, armed and ready for battle,
the Mighty One, invincible in every way!
So wake up, you living gateways, and rejoice
Fling wide, you ageless doors of destiny!
Here he comes; the King of Glory is ready to come in. . .
”
I invite you to meditate on Psalm 24 and pray for the Holy Spirit to speak to your heart today. If you don’t have clarity for your purpose, your identity - allow those same questions from Genesis 3 of “where are you”?, and “who told you”?, to be answered fully by the One who holds the keys to heaven and earth.
Recommended Video- Resources from the Bible Project Heaven & Earth the Tree of Life
“If I find in myself a desire which no experience in this world can satisfy, the most probable explanation is that I was made for another world.”
To read my 3 part series on “Identity’'- this past month:
Part 1 Identity (the good new of peace)
Part 2 Identity (It began in the garden)
Part 3 Identity blog post- ‘Who I am ‘in Christ’
To Download a PDF version of the “Who Am I in Christ”, Click here Version 1 , or Click here Version 2
