We experience it a hundred different ways: It’s the call from the doctor telling us the tests are back, and it doesn’t look good. It’s the string of long nights spent at the office only to be passed over for the promotion. It’s the hurricane that wipes out half a city in an afternoon, and the political unrest that doesn’t seem to care who gets caught in the crossfire. It’s the marriage counseling that didn’t work; the guy who said he’d call but doesn’t; the pregnancy test that comes back negative; the child who’s losing her way—and we can’t do anything to stop it.
No one has to tell us. No one has to convince us. Something’s “off” in this world, and we know it. We feel it.
Between natural disasters, socio-political disruption, and personal disappointments, our lives hardly resemble the world of Genesis 1 and 2. And not without reason. While the first two chapters of the book of Genesis give us a glimpse of an idyllic paradise, only one chapter later paradise is lost.
Deceived by a snake and led by her own faulty thinking about God’s explicit command, Eve takes fruit from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, eats it, and gives some to her husband (Genesis 3:1–6). A moment later, the open, perfect fellowship of Genesis 2, what made it possible for the man and his wife to stand before each other naked without a trace of shame, vanishes, and for the first time Adam and Eve use God’s creation to hide themselves, both from each other and from God (Genesis 3:7–8). Only four verses later, an already strained relationship is pushed to the limit as the man turns against God and his wife (v. 12). Before all is said and done, all of creation—the woman, the man, the earth—will suffer the effects of Adam and Eve’s sin (vv. 14–19). As Genesis 3 comes to an end, God drivesAdam and Eve out of the garden to make their life east of Eden.
It’s all too familiar, what we see in Genesis 3. And if all we were left with was a picture of a man and his wife broken by sin, it would be almost unbearable. But the thing about God is that he’s merciful. And so, in the midst of shame and hiding, blame and accusation, the pain of childbirth and the cursing of the ground, God made a promise, not to the man and not to the woman, but to the snake. God says, “Because you have done this . . . I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel” (vv. 14–15). Wrapped in that promise we find the foreshadowing of the gospel—the good news that God would send someone who would set right what Adam and Eve’s sin had broken.
And God has been true to his word, moving heaven and earth to restore what was lost in Genesis 3. It is toward this movement of redemption that we now move.
I feel paralyzed by fear and overthinking. I need a paradigm shift, a new perspective. I need to surrender my need for perfection and control, for things to always be peaceful and comfortable. A life lived under the illusion of safety and control is no life at all. It is a life wasted. I need to take courage and have faith that God will walk with me through anything I face, good or bad. And that He IS enough.
Kyrie, this is a struggle familiar to me. I’ve been working at this for quite some time, but what you wrote still hit home for me. I pray that we both are able to let this go in the different areas of our life. God bless you!
No longer is there a part of my life that seems broken beyond repair. I entrust it all to him, my goals, my dreams, my career path, my entrepreneurship goals, my children, my husband, my health. All of it
It’s stress for me. I’ve been feeling the physical effects of stress for quite some time. I’ve been trying so hard to give it all to God, to not be stressed about the different things in life. Now it just feels subconscious, where I can’t point to any thoughts indicating stress but I’m still feeling it in my body. I also see it tear apart people I care about. The impact it has on our minds and bodies is horrible – I pray that we soon be set free. Romans 8:23 from the first day still resonates strongly with me on this topic.
I feel this. Stress. It’s manifested from mental to physical. It’s something that becomes such a huge part of everything when you let it. I’m in and out of this same state as some days I give it all to Him and let myself breathe. Other days, I bring worry for tomorrow into today and no matter how hard I pray or pause and reflect, I can’t shake it. I ultimately know it’s not my plan to control, but it feels like the more I pray it through the more stress evil piles on. Keeping you in prayers in this time as you’re not in it alone.
Broken/ended friendships. My best friend ended our friendship, a lot is to due with her not dealing with past PTSD and with me having relied on her too much emotionally and I don’t have a family or significant other, it’s just me and her and her family were my family and it’s all lost. I see them around town from time to time and it breaks my heart because there was no closure. I’m still holding out and praying that God mends it at some time but also know we all have freedom of choice so ultimately it’s her choice. My heart feels broken and needs God to repair it desperately. I don’t have any close relationships where I live and it makes it more difficult but trusting that He’ll come through.
My doubt and anxiety get the best of me. I doubt that God truly has it all under control and that He is working all things for the good of those who believe. I struggle to remember this and often feel like I must take control to fix all the things instead of surrendering to Him and finding true peace.
I am broken. I have been broken for quite sometime now in my life. God is slowly putting those broken pieces back together for me. I could write a book about my life and all that I have been through. God is always there for me even when I sometimes feel that I do not deserve his love or kindness. He is a wonderful, forgiving God.
6 years ago I was pregnant with baby #3 but the Lord had other plans and I miscarried half-way through. It was incredibly heart breaking for my husband and I, even though it wasn’t my first miscarriage it was the one that was furthest along, so in a way it was the hardest and most traumatic. Ever since then I feel like there is a small hole within my heart, like something is missing. I would like to try to have another child again, but my husband is afraid of another miscarriage. He does not want to risk go through it all again. I understand his fears plus we are getting older so the risk is higher. I just feel very stuck between what I want and what my husband wants and so this is where I am putting trust in the Lord. I trust that whatever path is meant for us (my husband and I) will be the best even if it’s not the path I would choose myself.
My family’s relationship with my younger brother and his wife. My brother, Robert has chosen to step away from his family and no longer wants contact with my parents, my sister, and I. Only if it’s an emergency. They recently moved back to the states after living in Japan for a few years. They are agnostic and do not like us talking about God or our different political views. I miss him terribly and ache to be there for him and be a present aunt for his two children. I believe the Lord can restore this relationship so I relentlessly pray for the Lord to make this new.
I feel guilty saying this, but at this moment I don’t feel I need to entrust anything to God. I feel that I turn it over to Him daily. I try to find Him in all our hardships and give home praise and thanks daily for our blessings. I think that feelings of disparity and brokenness come in stages. I believe there will be a time that I will feel much sadness and worry. I pray that during that time I will seek Him out.
My sleep. I wake up with anxiety now every night and can’t go back to sleep. I’m praying and giving it to him but yet I still wake up.