Some of what women do in the day-to-day can seem very mundane. It helped me as a young mother — and still does today — to realize that even the most boring and mindless tasks, and in fact the mere dailiness of what we do, also reminds us repeatedly of The Plan and the love that underscores every part of it:
Here are some parts of The Plan as seen in the Garden of Eden— and carried out daily in women's work.
Creation: God created the earth to prepare a beautiful, comfortable home for us, his children. This creation was a key part of the plan and is mentioned in every book of scripture. We women perform small acts of creation day after day, empowered with love for our families. We create a home that is beautiful and comfortable, a place of nurturing and love. A house of learning. A sanctuary of faith.
I have a unique background in creation. My dad has a PhD in creativity. In our home growing up, creativity was one of the hallmarks. As an artist and designer, my career allows me to create every day. Creating is a big part of what I do and who I am. But it doesn’t need to be a career, or even a talent, to hav a place in your life. Every one of us has the opportunity to create and add beauty wherever we are.
Planting a garden: God planted a garden in Eden. Many women love working the soil, both to beautify their homes and to feed their families. It is so satisfying and exciting to watch little seedlings burst into life, stretch and grow toward the light. There is also always a life lesson as we spend time watering, nurturing those growing plants, and pulling the weeds that could rob the growing plants of water and light.
Talking to God. Adam and Eve walked and talked with God in the garden. Mothers are their children’s first introduction to both verbal and spiritual conversation. As we look and smile at babies, teaching them to imitate our voices and sounds, they mirror our words and emotions and gradually begin to pick up the gift of language and expression.
Mothers are typically great listeners and conversationalists. From expressing delight over a toddler’s discoveries, to answering endless questions, “WHY?” to waiting up until the wee hours of the morning to hear how a date went, mothers are both available and willing models of meaningful connection.
Similarly, women model spiritual communication. From those earliest moments of helping a toddler fold his chubby arms to pray, both at the dinner table and at their bedside, our children learn they can walk and talk with God. We are all still learning to walk and talk with God. I remember stepping into my mother's bedroom as a young girl and seeing her on her knees in prayer. The entire room felt like a sacred space. I just quietly tiptoed out. But I felt then that my mom was actually talking to God.
Setting boundaries: God told our first parents they could eat from all the trees in the garden…except one. Mothers daily set and enforce boundaries, protecting our children and grandchildren and helping them feel safe and secure.
Clothing loved ones: Before they left the garden, the Lord made coverings of skins for Adam and Eve.
“And the Lord God made garments of skin for Adam and his wife and clothed them” (Genesis 3:21, Talmud).Whether we sew or not, it is our responsibility to clothe our families. We spend countless hours purchasing, mending, washing, pressing and folding clothes for our families. It helps me to think that this was also something Jehovah was willing to do.
In addition, according to some talmudic scholars, their garments were actually made of celestial light. The fall dimmed that light. Whenever we teach our children about the plan of salvation and the gospel of Jesus Christ, we are , not unlike the armor of God, clothing them in greater light.
Delivering consequences: God gave us (his children) a colossal time-out. Because of the fall, we were cast out of the garden and cast out of his presence. From that point on we had to learn to walk by faith. All of us.
Time-outs are also a near-daily occurrence for a mother, as she teaches her children appropriate behavior. And yet, if we compare this work too to our Father’s plan, isn’t it often more of a burden on the mother than on the errant child to enforce that grounding or take away their car privilege? Yet we endure these consequences to establish a pattern of learning.
How hard must it be for Heavenly Father to be removed from us? How often does he want to reach through the veil and take us in his arms, hold us close? But he has to refrain, knowing this is the only way we can truly learn.
To God, all things are spiritual. There is no task he asks us to undertake, no choice or decision that doesn't have spiritual significance. This helped me so much when my children were young, and the tasks seemed endless. I continue to be inspired by these ideas.
QUESTION: What else do you do that is similar to Eve and her experience in Eden?
