Lately, my son has grown fond of the word No. He loves that little word. To hear it, he’ll crawl up to things (like electrical cords) and touch them, waiting for me to say it. When I do, he pulls his pudgy hand away, gives me his gap-toothed smile, and reaches for it again. There’s something so tempting about reaching for those things that are off limits. The word No fascinates him. He tries his very best to get us to say it, to test his boundaries, to see what will happen if he disobeys.
I was thinking the other night how similar I am to my son. I’ve been reading Tosca Lee’s, Havah, which is a story about Eve. It’s made me examine Eve’s story closer than I ever have before. The fall of man is a fascinating topic. Tosca does such a good job setting it up. How wonderful and glorious is the garden! God created it for them – a special, perfect place where God’s presence permeates everything. Nothing is off limits. Except for that tree. That tempting, fruit-filled tree. And what do you think Eve focuses on? Not the abundant blessings, but on the one and only thing that is forbidden.
I’m not going to try and tease apart this aspect of humanity. I’m not going to psychoanalyze it. I just thought I’d bring it up for brain fodder.
Question to Ponder: What do you think it is that attracts us to the forbidden?
Jessica Nelson. A funny side note: Jessica kept slouching down because she’s tall and that’s what tall people do. She wasn’t used to taking a picture with a fellow tall girl. So in reality, Jessica is actually taller than me. 🙂 
