The Tree of Life

(Genesis 2:16) "…From any tree of the garden you may eat freely;"

Man

Woman

God

Shopping

You notice none of these words are in the same sentence nor should they ever be. Woe to the man that ever embarks on such an adventure with the woman – such as shopping!

In my home, there is an ongoing issue (to put it mildly) about shopping. My husband has come to the conclusion that it would be next to "impossible" for me to go shopping for such an intended item and not come home with less than twenty other items.

Now, I have made several observations to this fact. One being when my husband goes shopping he states, "I will pick up what we need." Of course, cookies, ice cream and other such related items are a necessity, right? But I have learned not to argue this point because I like it. I get to live and shop vicariously through my husband. The second he walks through the door, I am snatching items out the bag like a small child. What did you get me? Me. Me.

My second observation is that this is not my fault. Yes, you heard me. It’s just not my fault. It’s Eve’s fault. After all, she went on the first shopping trip. Adam and yes, I might add God sent her out to shop. "You can eat from any tree but…." Well, on this particular day, the birds were singing, she was happy and there it was, the blue light special hanging right over THAT tree. And here is this voice, "Go ahead, it will make you feel good about yourself, take it home and make this great apple pie for Adam, you guys can have this dynamite romantic evening, oh yea, I promise, God won’t mind. NO, don’t ask him, it’s a SURPRISE." (by now, her heart is beating fast, she is excited, she can't wait)

Hook, line and sinker. She bit!

And ever since, woman (ie, me) has been looking for that blue light special – the forbidden fruit.

What is your forbidden fruit? Shopping, spending, a relationship, drinking, overeating, language, work, just not following God’s will for your life? It really is anything where you are living apart from our precious Savior, isn’t it? It is where you do not find that life with Him.

"Will I surely die" (You know how it is when you stand before your spouse or the mirror or GOD, when that reality check hits!! yeah... the rush is over. )

Let’s just say there is no life in some of the things we do. For we will bear no fruit on our own, but only through living totally dependant of God, our Father.

So on our shopping days, well we just need to stick to the Tree of Life… our Jesus.

In Him,