Chereads / A Journey For Life / Chapter 19 - Chapter 18. The Choice

Chapter 19 - Chapter 18. The Choice

When I finally awoke from the sleep that Abraham had induced in me, I realized that I had landed, not back in the glen as I had expected, but rather in another place on the newly created Earth. I was a bit at a loss at this, but I simply stood up from where I had been laid and took a look around.

I soon became aware of two things: the first was that my three friends were no longer beside me, and the second was that I definitely had no idea where on Earth exactly I had ended up. I knew for sure that I was still inside the original planet, before the fall, but not even using all of my capacities was I able to locate where exactly "here" was.

I continued looking around me, at the beauty that surrounded me, and could not help but feel mesmerized by what I could see and even feel coming from all that had been created. I also could not help but release a chuckle and think about the fact that many people would have given everything to be able to see what I was seeing and experience what I was experiencing. Because quite honestly, there was nothing like this.

As far, and wide, as my eyesight could see, there was nothing but absolute beauty, but more than that, you could almost touch and taste the sense of peace and harmony that emanated from the very earth and from the creatures around me. There was absolutely no sense of danger, of rush, or of disbalance anywhere. In fact, deep within me, I felt as if what had once divided my body from my spirit, had been removed, and that unity intensified my sense of wellbeing. Who from my current time, could have said they had ever experienced something even remotely close to this?

Feeling totally safe, and knowing that nothing could, or would, harm me here, I allowed myself to walk further in this magnificent landscape, while I continued to enjoy the amazing sensations around me. The air smelled sweet and pure and the radiant sun warmed my body in such a perfect way, that I neither felt too warm nor too cold. I could also hear the beautiful and wonderful song emitted by the creatures here, and it was so moving, so touching, and so beautiful in its simplicity, that it moved me and humbled me as well.

However, what was most outstanding of this entire scenery was that Nature, all of it, was in absolute and perfect balance, and I saw as different types of animals, whether they were carnivores, omnivores, or herbivores, shared space and resources without even attempting to harm one another. In fact, now that I thought about it, there was one place where I had also experienced all of this before, and the puzzle finally connected.

I understood that I had been taken to what I had once learned was called the Garden of Eden, and when this realization came to me, I began to look around in order to find the typical markers that had always been mentioned in the different versions of the story of Creation. And although I did see plenty of fruit trees, edible bushes, and plants, mountains, as well as small and big rivers all around, and as far as my eye could see, I failed to find the two specific trees that were mentioned.

However, soon my attention was called by the sudden movement that took place a few yards away from me, and I found myself looking straight at the two original human beings, man and woman, who had been moving about in this beautiful place, each carrying out a specific task that complemented those made by the other.

Filled with curiosity about these two people, who, according to the story, were my forefathers, I approached them with care, and I soon learned that they could neither see me nor hear me. And when I finally came close enough to study them further, I was thrown away by the purity, the happiness, the peace, and the beauty that I felt emanating from them. It seemed, from their countenances, that nothing was lacking in their lives, unless you counted on the deep yearning that I could sense coming from their hearts, for the presence of God.

They were living in the simplest of ways, picking berries, fruits, nuts, and any other possibly edible plant, or root, but they never took or consumed more than what was utterly necessary to keep themselves fed. And all of their actions were geared towards caring for each other and the world around them. In return, Nature gave them all that they could possibly need to help them on their path.

I also noticed that there was no danger to them, as none of the creatures offered any kind of threat. Instead, creatures and Man collaborated with each other, creating a kind of exchange that benefitted all and maintained peace and balance.

Finally, I also noticed that the two of them were completely naked, and while I felt myself flushing at the sight, the two of them only looked at one another with utter respect and devotion, as well as the purest love possible. So their faces showed no signs of either lust or of shame for their naked bodies.

I had been so entranced by everything that I had been seeing, that I did not notice when, without warning, I was transported to a much more different, and strange, location. It also seemed to be a garden of sorts, but what I soon noticed was that this "garden" was not really a physical place, and when I started being able to hear the thoughts, and sense the emotions, from the two human beings, I understood where I had been led.

It seemed that I had been transported into the souls of my forefathers, where, evidently another garden had been set. And even though I knew that what I was seeing was visible only for my benefit, it was also filled with meanings that would help me understand how God and Man had related to one another since Man could not physically see God.

Moving around and looking closer at this beautiful place, which seemed more like a glen, than a garden, I began to sense the presence of the Trinity really close by. And because I truly wanted to see my friends and have them explain all this, I began to search for them. However, I soon became overcome by a sense of inadequacy, as if I had inadvertently trodden on sacred ground without being appropriately prepared, and in response, I decided to not continue, but rather observe.

Not too far from where I was standing, and in the very middle of the glen, I noticed the presence of two huge and imposing trees. The first one was much bigger and thicker than the second one and while its roots were widely spread around the glen, its branches reached to what I assumed was the very heavens. From this Tree flowed a substance that looked like a combination of water, amber, and gold that constantly fed and bathed the entire glen, turning it into a beautiful display of all sorts of colors, and also of light.

The second tree, although also very imposing and beautiful, was different from the first in not just its size, but also its characteristics. This one did not emit any kind of substance, but rather some of its branches and even its roots supported what looked like keys, while the others supported books with locks.

I soon became aware of the fact that what I was seeing was the representation of the Tree of Life (the bigger and more beautiful of the two) and the Tree of the Science of Good and Evil. Herein, then, before my eyes, lay the key to what had been the fall of Man from Grace.

Not long after I had thoroughly studied the two trees, I heard steps coming closer to me, and when I turned around, I saw my three friends finally appearing next to me. The three of us stared at the two trees, and then I heard Abraham claim, "Nothing was denied, or hidden from Man by Us.

"From the start, they retained not just the freedom to choose their paths, but also all of the potentials that they had a right to, because of their origin. All We ever asked Man was for them to abandon themselves in Us and believe that by letting Us guide them, they would finally reach their full potential, and therefore become ready to meet with Us face-to-face. But you will now see what Man's response was, and what happened next."

I stared at Abraham intently and realized that His face had become somber and saddened. I turned to look at the other two men and saw that they had had the same reaction, and it was not much later that I understood why this was.

Not even a minute or two later, I became aware of an evil presence and I saw that my friends had disappeared again. The aura that came from this presence was familiar and it was so malevolent and repulsive, at least to me, that I wondered why so many of us fell for those awful beings' tricks all the time. However, soon enough, I understood why.

The evil being, whom I now knew was the Devil himself, had fast disguised himself and he now appeared as a harmless entity. Even his evil aura had dissipated to present a completely different persona.

I then heard as his voice carried softly, almost like a siren's call, towards the woman, inviting her to come closer to the tree of the science of Good and Evil, and to take her birthright, that is, the capacity to decide for herself what was good and what was not.

The woman feebly tried to explain that they could not touch anything from that tree, as they had been asked by God for only one thing; for their full obedience and trust in His will. However, the entity pushed a bit further and convinced her very easily by telling her that God had only asked them to refrain from reaching out for the goods of that tree because He knew that if they took them, they would surpass Him. But he assured her that it was not true what God had warned them about, that they would die.

What amazed me, and even shamed me the most, was to see how, despite all that she had received from God, all the blessings she and her man had received, her soul had readily hesitated, become rebellious, doubted God, and allowed the evil voice's temptation to take root inside her.

As soon as this happened, she reached for the book and its key, and when she opened it, everything inside her changed. Her soul's earlier brilliance turned into murky darkness and the garden itself began to wither and die.

At that very instant, the Tree of Life stopped releasing its flow and a legion of angels appeared, surrounded the Tree of Life, and took it away from the glen. However, right at the very end, I saw that where once the Tree of Life had been, a tiny seedling had been left behind, guarded by angels and I understood with that that even if Man had deserved its fate, God, in His infinite Love and Mercy, had decided to leave that small connection, so that one day, it could be nurtured and brought back to its full glory. In a few words, God had not abandoned His beloved Creature, even if He had been betrayed and from that moment on He started planning the pathway that would lead His beloved Creature back to where it belonged.

Not long afterwards, I was brought out from the woman's now damaged soul and I saw that she had also managed to convince her husband, who had not needed much pushing either, to disobey and rebel against God, and the consequences both on their insides and in the outside world were soon felt.

Just as Man and Woman had lost their connection to God, and this had brought a break in the harmony within them, that loss had also communicated to the full of Creation. So now, instead of the balance, peace, beauty and harmony that had once made this whole place a Paradise, the world had now turned into a zone of conflict where the survival of the fittest, suffering, turmoil and death had become the guidelines and the new rules.

I also saw that the relationship between the two people had been deeply affected and now, feeling ashamed of their naked bodies and the thoughts, feelings and emotions that arose from the sight, and their gained "knowledge of good and evil", they decided to cover themselves immediately.

Not long after this, I sensed the reappearance of my three friends, in their Trinitarian form, and I saw as the two people, who also became aware of their presence, began to seek a place to hide. It seemed that they had become aware of their awful mistake as the magnificence of the Trinity approached them.

The saddest part of all this was that God, knowing exactly what had happened, had decided to give Man and Woman a chance to at least show their remorse for what He knew they had done. But instead, he found two selfish, prideful, unremorseful beings who had decided to blame each other and the entity who had tempted them. And so to each, He delivered their just dues.

Man would, from that point on be known as Adam and he would have to suffer and fight every single day of his life, to survive and to be able to sustain himself, his wife, and his family. To the woman, whom Adam had named Eve, was promised toils, sufferings, and especially pain and suffering when bringing forth her descendants. The entity too received its own just rewards.

I then became aware of a very important thing. The words issued by God, more than punishments, or even condemnations, were really prophecies of the consequences that each of the involved would have to go through because of their choice.

With merely just a small decision, a choice, Man (man and woman) had chosen to relinquish their state of Grace in exchange for the freedom to select their own paths and make their decisions without having to rely on God. This had brought severe consequences, and one of them had been Death, and with it, all the dangers that the now also damaged Creation could possess for humans.

And we, as descendants of these two original beings, had inherited the consequences of this fall from Grace, and the appearance of sin and death.

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Wow, finally, another new chapter and just as hard as the last one. I hope you enjoy it.