Where art thou?

"I heard thy voice in the garden and I was afraid, because I was naked; and I hid myself." Who told thee thou wast naked? 

Just as Adam and Eve became self-conscious about their nakedness after they sinned in the garden, so too do you and I become so after we sin or offend the laws of God.  And like Adam and Eve, whether we acknowledge it or not, we become uncomfortable in the presence of God, even if only on our knees at the foot of our bed. Because even there, in whatever form He may appear in your thoughts and heart, the presence of the Lord is intimidating. His righteousness, however little of it we may understand, is frightening.  And so, we hide. Hiding from God seems a natural-man reflex when forced to acknowledge and encounter our misdeeds in His presence. 

My behavior as a young boy growing up caused me to hear versions of these questions from my father a number of times; where are you?—what have you done?—who told you you were in trouble? It seemed instinctive to hide or hide that which I had done from my dad—so I kind of get Adam’s awkward situation. When the time for accountability arrived and my deeds were exposed with both he and I present, one thing I always knew for sure was that he already knew the answers to the questions. He didn’t need the answers, but what he did need is to know that I knew the answers. That I knew where I was, that I knew what I had done wrong and that I recognized what the unmet expectations were. That’s what he needed. What I needed? I needed the time necessary to inherit the consequences of my actions. I needed an opportunity to restore, to the best of my ability, any damage I may have caused, and I needed to know the answer to the question Where are You? Then, I could walk humbly back to my father to say – where do I go from here? 

For me, I only ever ask the question – What lack I yet? (Where do I go from here?) when I know the answer to Where art thou? (Where is here?)

Maybe ask where "here" is, then…

Signed

John The-Not-So-Beloved