It was a difficult shift working at the prison ...on afternoon shift, then an hour & a half drive home.
Once home, I wanted to stay there until I would leave again ...2 hours before my next shift, giving me 30 minutes extra for traffic that is always busier in mid-afternoon than traveling after midnight.
So, when I heard "Parade!" ...well, I thought I could afford a little more sleep after the rest of them paraded out of the house.
Yes, parades can be interesting and fun ...especially if you have never seen one (or if it's been a year). But, a year's time is not too long to forget how exciting it is to get candy thrown at you ...at least from a kid's perspective.
Sometimes it's good not to lose our youthful perspective ...and I recall some good advice to 'be like a kid', at least in the pure way of excitement.
When was the first parade??
Well, I recall reading that some interesting animals were paraded in front of Adam (and it was an interesting up-close and personal view).
And how do you express that excitement?
Well, Adam was told he could give them names.
That could be both interesting and funny.
But, when the parade is through ...what does one do??
Well, usually everyone gathers their families to go home. Crowds can be fun, but after navigating the crowds and traffic, a planned event is usually at home. Parades are usually during holidays and most businesses aren't open.
But, Adam didn't have a business, nor did he work for one. And he didn't have a family either. The animals were doing their thing ...and he didn't seem to have a thing to do. So, what did he do??
Well, Adam did like I was doing ...he got some sleep. But, what did he dream about?
I was dreaming about my wife and kids, yet at this point I was awake. My dream was also a reality ...as soon I would be with my wife and kids.
I started up the grill ...as I knew they would be hungry.
Well, at least my wife would be hungry. The kids had probably stuffed themselves too much with candy.
But, though Adam was in a paradise of sorts ...he had no human there to relate to. What could he possibly dream of?
Well, he likely couldn't have dreamt of a surprise as wonderful as what he saw when he woke up ...as there was Eve.
So, a help-mate ...
What help one often thinks about is not precisely what one gets.
There didn't quite seem to be a need for help at the time ...but, it would have been useful to help each other follow a simple rule.
When I was in Cub Scouts, we were taught a few 'outdoors' things ...like what berries to eat, what mushrooms to pick, and what plants not to touch.
I never trusted my judgment with mushrooms, so I never picked any. The plants we were not to touch were often difficult to avoid. If we were walking through thick underbrush, sometimes we just mistakenly brushed against some plants that were not very visible among all the other plants.
But, that was not the case with Adam & Eve ...as the plant they were to avoid was a tree, and it had distinct fruit that really made it stand out.
You all know the story ...they did not avoid the tree or its fruit. So, what help was that??
Well, sometimes the biggest help we can be to each other is when we fail. We need to realize our failure together, but then we need to support one another to move forward afterwards.
Of course, they had to both move forward, not like in a parade, but they had to march out of the garden paradise.
But, it wasn't just them supporting one another ...even though God was the One who had them leave, He also gave them hope with their direction.
The Bible doesn't say that God told them of His plan to redeem them ...but, I feel they must have been given some understanding, as after Adam & Eve were clothed in animal skins, setting a standard for decency and healthiness, Eve was called the 'mother of all living'.
In Matthew 19:4-5, Jesus says, "Have ye not read, that He which made them at the beginning made them male and female, and said, 'For this cause shall a man leave father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife: and they twain shall be one'?"
So, that statement by Jesus verifies that Adam & Eve were told this ...and likely they were told many other things, getting direction as well as encouragement from God ...and instilling true purpose.
We also see in the Bible where having more than one wife really fragments the two ...and those children born to the more than two.
Remember, Jesus said a man shall cleave to his wife ...not wives. And for those who feel Abram (Abraham) married his sister (as I believe the Word does not say it, only Abraham said that), it should be also noted that Jesus said to cleave to your wife, not sister. And I know those of you who like to be difficult, may bring up the 'sister-wife' definition ...but I will not bring that up here. If you don't believe my assertion that Abraham & Sarah were not brother & sister ...then read my book, 'Chain-Link Fences' where I explain in 30 or so short pages that subject and a few more that I believe may be misconceptions.
Anyway, though our 'help-mate' moments may be challenging at times ...and there are times we are not encouraging one another, though some of you may insist you can no longer 'help' one another, it is supposed to be maturity that gives you strength and commitment. It's called growth. And however intolerable we may find each other at times, don't think that God's commitment to us is as weak as our own is to each other.
And we are supposed to rely on God's strength to get us through.
So much more can be said, and I was going to say more, but I said more about what I wasn't going to say ...and now forgot what else I was going to say. And since you are not here to remind me (or weren't here to begin with), then I guess this is all I'm going to say at this late hour.
Good night & may God bless!!! (Those are the words that Red Skelton spoke to conclude each of his shows ...and God is polite, so He will bless you if you may just open your heart to Him.)
