Why would one leave such a haven? A place of great joy, refreshment, healing and growth?
Love.
For me, this is the only answer:
Love.
I would only give up that Eden experience for Love, with Love, because of Love’s invitation to follow Him wholeheartedly wherever He may lead—-even out of the garden.
It was difficult at first to accept His invitation, because it only seemed to offer pain, loss and heartache. But as I sat with His invitation, holding it close, I came to see that if I turned down Love’s invitation I would be closing myself off to Love, little by little, and settling for less than the fullness of joy. I knew if I stayed, my garden would eventually wilt and fade away—-so despite the pain of leaving a place of such deep beauty, I knew I needed to follow Love’s invitation to leave the garden.
Pain. Sadness. Shame. Distrust.
Filled my days.
“Who am I?” became my prayer.
Isolated. Unknown.
That which once felt so familiar seemed odd, unnatural, awkward.
I felt shattered, too hurt and afraid to offer the shards of my life to the One who could make a masterpiece from my offering of brokenness.
Little by little. Piece by piece.
I’m learning slowly, slowly, slowly to bring each shard—-no matter how jagged or dingy to Love. With Love. For Love.
What He is crafting with the broken pieces—only time will tell.
A new garden is springing up.
