But God created us not as a toy or a possession or another living animal. He created us in His own image. He created us with thoughts and the ability to understand. He gave us the power to empathize and to know. And, He believed in us and gave us the precious gift of choice. Because, real love…real commitment to something, is always a choice. So, He himself held back the powers of His enemies from us and our beautiful Garden and left only one door. The door of our choice, and He gave us the key.
My Dad is a Giant Cube: You Know...A Square, Squared
My Dad’s a Giant Cube
I always thought of my dad as a giant square. He was as cube shaped as any father could be. We were not allowed so many things that I felt like the world was living life without me, and I would forever be missing out on the brightest and most wonderful things that life had to offer. I turned fifty this year and although I still have many questions regarding parenting, I have come to view the stubborn isolation of his children as one of my dad’s greatest contributions as a father.
When God created the earth and meticulously carved out a perfect and beautiful place called the Garden of Eden, He started the concept of protective isolation. Everything that anyone could possibly ever need was available in that garden…and, available in proportions way beyond need. Healthy non-preservative food was literally hanging off the vines. Pure water from the truly perfect clear-spring flowed at all readily available outlets. First-hand, three-D wildlife shows were on every channel. And a mate that was just right for you in every way possible was standing beside you.
Then there were those long tender walks with the God of all the worlds. The teacher and friend so knowledgeable and interesting…and He had these great stories about how everything was created in just a few days. He could answer any question…in words that you could really understand. And He loved retelling the stories of how He blew breath from His nostrils and placed the stars in the sky. Most of all, He really, really enjoyed just spending time with you. In that garden, Father and child spent their time in perfect pleasantry.
He was so comforting and gentle and attentive that you never even noticed the efforts He was using to guard the Garden and hold out evil. The very presence of Him told all enemies that they were forbidden to enter. And, they were obedient…they had no choice. He was God, and they knew His power. They were completely and totally limited by Him.
But God created us not as a toy or a possession or another living animal. He created us in His own image. He created us with thoughts and the ability to understand. He gave us the power to empathize and to know. And, He believed in us and gave us the precious gift of choice. Because, real love…real commitment to something, is always a choice. So, He himself held back the powers of His enemies from us and our beautiful Garden and left only one door. The door of our choice, and He gave us the key.
And like a father who stands and watches as their child of rightful age makes the wrong choices, God saw us open the door to Satan and let him in to the beautiful Garden. Everything Satan touched died and the death spread throughout the Garden and throughout the Earth causing rot and stench and destruction everywhere it seeped. And God was sorrowful.
He had the power to reverse things but knew we would never become what He had intended if He just stepped in and undid what we had chosen to do. But, He could not let us be alone either. So He stayed with us on the outside of the Garden and helped us deal with the mess we had made. And, He continued to call to us to walk with Him.
Looking back I now see that the things my own dad refused to allow was just his way of guarding me from his enemy. He had a greater understanding of the powers of evil than I did and he wanted to protect me in every way he could. So he barred the TV and the radio. He said no to friends and to potential dates. He even went so far as to tell me how to dress.
And now, now that I am fifty and have had children of my own, I hope that I have made their childhoods as square and “evilly” uninteresting as mine. Oh sure, during my years I have unlocked the door and let sin and evil trample all over what my dad had grown in the garden. But the time I spent there in his protected care…memorizing verses, going to church over and over, and discussing right and wrong, and the expectations of God…gave me an edge.
Evil is everywhere. The ramifications of its breeding have spread throughout time and have resulted in a world littered with the trash of its waste. There are very few childhoods now that have lived protected in a garden of innocence and have had time to nurture their spirit with the knowledge of God, but it is important to remember that every moment is precious.
So be a square as often and as long as you can. Absolutely become a cube for Christ. Protect your children and grandchildren and the children they associate with. And influence the children down the block. Push back the forces of evil and build a wall around the garden of their forming spirits. Decide the things that they should be exposed to, because you know better than they what is really beautiful and interesting. You have experience with satan, you know his lies. Be straight with defined corners about where they go and who they hang out with and tell them the stories of the great deceiver. Prepare them for the strength of your enemy. Because he is their enemy too…and when they turn the key and open the door of choice, you will want them to have every square advantage.
In obedience
Rhonda D Loucks
What can you expect? Straight talk, laughable humor, real truth, simple living, and passionate yearning...
all regarding the God that still involves Himself in the details of the lives of His people
A calling to write what He leads, no matter how uncomfortable...
Because simple daily Christian living is never what we thought it would be