I know what you are all thinking, that I totally slacked when it came to studying the Bible. Well, you are wrong. Although I have totally slacked with posting it here since I have not really moved on, well maybe just a little bit. You see, I have been sort of stuck. I don't know if you remember where I left off or not so I am going to refresh your memory.
I stumbled onto the idea that Eve was not actually told not to eat the fruit of the forbidden tree. After doing some research I discovered that is actually what happened and I wanted to know why everything fell together the way that it did. I mean God told Adam and it was Eve that ate it and gave it to Adam but it just isn't that simple.
Upon reading tons of thoughts and opinions and scriptures relating to this question rolling around in my head, I realized that since according to God it was the man's job to guide his family and make sure that they follow the rules (I am interpretting this very loosely so please do not criticise, I guess you can call this Bible Study for Dummies...lol). So although it was Adam who did not go to the fruit and pick it himself, it was his fault that he was not able to convey the importance of it to Eve and stop her from eating of it and then of course, eating of it himself. He basically failed as head of the household. So after more reading and more questions, it has come to my attention that according to biblical scholars even if Adam had not eaten of the fruit himself, he still would have been punished for not controlling his family or wife in this case. Sort of....
Boy, I bet you that what is actually in my head is not being conveyed in writing the correct way at all but you guys all get what I am trying to say, right?
After reading all this I began to think of my own relationship,not with God this time but with Jose. Adam and Eve were the beginning of time so obviously that is as old fashioned as it gets. Me on the other hand, not so much. I am all about woman's rights and being independent. What if God intended for relationships to be like that forever. I know the world has changed and evolved but what if God did not intend for that to change. So I did some searching within myself and a LOT of praying to God. This is what I have concluded. RESPECT and TRUST. Yup, you read that right. I don't think we can take everything we read in the bible litterally, I know some of you out there will disagree with me which is why I wrote "I think". I think that the bible is a guideline set for us. I think that Adam was expected to be head of household (so to speak) and care enough for his wife that he would go out of his way to make sure that she didn't do anything to harm herself but ultimately he needed to trust that she would respect his words and follow. Eve needed to trust Adam but obviously did not respect Adam's word enough because she instead trusted the snake and followed his word. Adam and Eve did not have the respect nor the trust for each other that a relationship needs to have. Flash forward to todays world and the same is needed. We have to trust each other and respect each other. I don't think that a wife should listen to her husband and that is all. I think that trust and respect need to be there from both parties and everything else will be there too. I am happy that Jose and I have that. I feel fully that God has blessed our relationship even though it might be unconventional. I do hope to put it in writing one day but for now I am happy in knowing that we are finding our way, the right way. I know many married couples that do not have the relationship that Jose and I are blessed to have so I know we must be doing something right. We are married in the eyes of God, just not on paper. Which do you think is more important?
Which brings me to one more question that will open up a can of worms, I am sure of it. Which is better: to go to church every week faithfully and contribute to the church because that is what is expected of you but have no real relationship with God or desire to honor him OR not belong to an organized religion or go to a church regularly but have an extrememly close relationship with God because of your faith? I would choose my relationship with God each and every time. So to those of you that have asked, that is why I don't belong to an organized religion. I have but I don't feel that they are all honest and I don't feel that I agree with what they preach or that they even follow what they preach. I refuse to follow something simply because I am told. I need to follow it because it is what I believe in and want to do.
So....back to my journey. I expected to breeze through Genesis, I really did. We all know the story of the creation of the world, or do we? And how much do we really understand what God is trying to teach us in the bible? I was sure that my questions would not come until later but then again, I have never read the bible. By the way, am I suppose to capitalize the word "bible" or not? Anyways, I guess you can say that I was at a road block because I would not go on until I understood what I was reading. Now that I think I understand what I have read, not that I agree with it all but I understand it, I can move on to more info which means more questions of course...lol. This is what I was looking for though. A better understanding of the bible means a better relationship with God and therefore I can be a better person.
So I hope to post the next chapter on Sunday but if I don't, I will get to it as soon as I can. God is in my thoughts each and every day even if I don't put it in writing. When was the last time you asked yourself what place God has in your life?
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