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sn The First Farmer

Introduction

The Garden of Eden was a place
of wonder and delight. Yet the
Bible tells us that God put Adam
there "to till it and look after it."

Story

Long, long ago, before God
created Adam, He made the
Garden of Eden as beautiful as
could be, to welcome the first
man.
The Lord loaded the trees with
ripe, heavy fruit. He dusted the
grass with tiny drops of dew. He
dressed the peacocks in their
brightest finery so that their
feathers gleamed in the sun.

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When Adam opened his eyes,
he rejoiced to see his magnificent
home.
"All that I have created, for
you have I created," the Lord said.
"If you do not keep it well, no one
after you will be able to set it
right."
Adam lived happily in his new
home. Each day he explored the
garden, marveling at its beauty. He
smelled the sweet flowers and
tasted the ripe fruit. He felt the
soft grass beneath his feet. He
watched the peacocks show their
feathers and the goldfish swim in
the clear lakes. And he laughed at
the antics of the monkeys, as they
climbed the trees and threw
oranges down at the ground.
Each night, before he went to
sleep, Adam thanked God for
giving him such a wonderful place
to live.
But, one morning, Adam
awoke to find everything changed.
Something terrible had happened!
The grass was dry and brown. The
fruits were shrunken and full of
worms. The flowers drooped sadly

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FRIDAY, FEB. 7, 1992

on their stems. And the peacocks'
feathers seemed dull and thin.
Adam could not understand
what had happened. Hoping that a
little food might make him think
more clearly, he picked some fruit
from a peach tree. But the
peaches were covered with brown,
rotten spots and tasted bitter in his
mouth.
As the days passed, the
garden grew worse. The plants
were all dying. The animals were
too weak from hunger to run and
play. Adam was hungry for the first
time in his life, and he became
frightened.
So he prayed to God. "Lord of
the Universe," he prayed. "Please,
tell me why this terrible thing is
happening to my home."
Then God answered Adam's
prayer.
"Adam," said the Lord, "your

home will not stay beautiful unless
you take care of it. There is much
work for you to do here."
"I will do anything!" cried
Adam. "Just show me what is
needed!"

Something terrible had
happened! The grass
was dry and brown. The
fruits were shrunken
and full of worms. The
flowers drooped badly
on their stems. And the
peacocks' feathers
seemed dull and thin.

The next morning, when Adam
awoke, God showed him how to
care for the garden. He taught
Adam how to water the grass, and

how to pull the weeds from among
the flowers. He taught Adam how
to trim the dead branches from the
fruit trees so that they could get
enough light. And he taught Adam
how to feed the peacocks so that
their feathers would always shine
brightly.
And that is how Adam became
the first farmer.

Questions

1. Was Adam doing his full
part when he just thanked God for
the garden?
2. What else was required of
Adam?
3. In what ways are we all
"partners with God" in caring for
our world and helping to make it a
better place?

Reprinted from Stories of Our
Living Past.

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