God saw all that he had made, and it was very good. …Thus the heavens and the earth were completed in their vast array. …Now the LORD God had planted a garden in the east, in Eden; and there he put the man he had formed. 

Genesis 1:31; 2:1,8

The year is young ladies. And as new years tend to suggest, if not outright demand a degree of healthy introspection, let us continue to turn the pages of this one with a visit to that garden in which we first received life. 

In a fascinating portrayal of Eden in her book Havah, Tosca Lee paints an eye-popping picture of perfection in paradise. Of course no one knows; but, for a moment, let your mind be aroused to the ultimate in sensory perception: water “as blue as lapis”, the sweet taste of “grapes on the vine”, the perfume of the lilac, the hum of hummingbird wings, a gentle breeze on your cheek. Imagine the epitome of the rhythm of nature—running with the deer, lying down with a lioness. Add the wonder of discovery of husband and wife. Find unparalleled joy with the One who “made (you) to crave more and more of Him.” 

Creation was indeed a work of art, Eden its crowning jewel, the man and woman in tune with life—in the beginning, that is.     

Last summer we visited Butchart gardens in Victoria BC. In 1904, Jennie Butchart took upon herself the task of beautifying the depleted limestone quarry that had supplied her husband’s nearby cement plant. As we wandered along the rocky paths of the sunken garden amongst the annuals, flowering trees, and sculptured shrubs, I realized there was not a single dead bloom in sight. All was pruned to perfection. And what symmetry—showy rhododendron in shades of pink here, elegant Himalayan blue poppies standing up straight and tall over there. 

I stopped by the pergola covered with rambling roses to catch the heady scent of the nearby hybrid teas. For a moment, perhaps, this was a taste of Eden—the colors, the bouquets, the rustle of leaves in the breeze, the chirping of the birds, the pollinating bees. Nature seemed in harmony, in worship of the Creator of all life.

One day we will return to Eden ladies. In the meantime, it is not a bad idea to frequent God’s garden for a glimpse of His original intent. 

Nancy P