Grace

     I made a small discovery the other day.  I was studying my Bible in Genesis.  I have read the creation story quite a few times, but never picked up a small detail.  In my years of being a Christian I have known God loves me, and has extended me grace.  He sent his Son to die for me.  In the back of the mind however I have held onto to a picture.  A picture of an iron fisted God throwing Adam and Eve out of the garden....I am not sure why I held on to that picture, but it's always been there, truthfully...shrouding out some of the love and grace God has extended to me.
  Recently while I was studying Genesis again, I noticed something I have never read before.  After Adam and Eve ate of the fruit (of knowledge of good and evil), God discovered and clothed them.  In Genesis 3:22&23 it states, "And the Lord God said, "The man has now become like one of us, knowing good and evil.  He must not be allowed to reach out his hand and take also from the tree of life and eat and live forever."  So the Lord God banished him from the Garden of eden to work the ground from which he had been taken.
  I read that and had to read it again and again, I don't know why because it makes sense.  My "ah-hah" moment....or maybe "duh" moment.  Yes, God removed them from the garden, but not with an iron fist.  He did it out of LOVE.  Because the tree of life was still in the garden and they still had access to it, they could still eat from it.  If they ate from it, they would live forever in their current state...in separation from God.  God could not allow that to happen, He LOVED them....and had mercy on them......so He removed them (so they couldn't further hurt themselves) from the garden.  He did not "throw" them out, He led them out as a Father would his son.   Hebrews 13:8 says, Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, and today and forever.  The loving God that allowed his son to die on the cross for me was the same loving God that lead Adam and Eve out of the garden.  It's funny how little things, imperceptions can cloud your view of the "big" picture...I never realized how much my previous view of the "garden" affected my understanding and ability to grasp God's grace.