In the Cool of the Day

News Flash: Walking with God in the garden in the cool of the day is not intimacy. That's acquaintance. If you and one of your work buddies or colleagues took a walk every day, no one would think, "Oooh, that's deep! How intimate!" No. Co-workers may think "Ah, they're buddies." They may even think that the two of you were trying to stay in shape, but that's about all they would think apart from speculation of scandalous behavior. Rarely, however, would anyone assume intimacy from a daily hike.

How much more would it look strange for the deepest sign of intimacy in marriage to be enjoying a saunter through the garden. It sounds romantic, but honestly, it's surface level. Walking and talking with you is me getting acquainted with you, and that acquaintance will only go as deep as our talks. Furthermore, if all we ever did was walk and talk about all the lovely things we could do together without ever doing them, our relationship would be pretty shallow.

Even in a parent/child relationship, walking and talking in the garden is not very intimate. Taking walks with my dad is one thing, but Daddy taking me out to dinner and sharing his heart, secret thoughts and plans with me, now that's intimacy. I would consider it intimate for him to take me to an art exhibit because he knows I want to be an artist or him showing me the ropes of the family business because he recognizes I would feel privileged to assume the title of CEO one day. Intimacy with my father is him sitting and reading countless books with me because he is already familiar enough with me to know that I'm an aspiring writer. It is me sitting on his lap and kissing his lips because he's my daddy, and nobody's daddy is better than my daddy. It's me hopping in bed between him and Mommy on a stormy night because I know he will protect me.

 See... intimacy is companionship with a person based on deep knowledge, familiarity, and ultimately... trust. That's in any relationship, and intimacy with God is no different. There are certain things and words that I am comfortable doing and saying to God simply because I know Yahweh. We are familiar with one another. I don't have to be shy because I know the heart of God. Since He has given me his mind and I have taken the time to study His character, we share the same headspace. He has given me access to His secrets because we share everything. We are friends. Yes, God even gives His friends access to His deep secrets! 

We talk so much about Adam and Eve walking with God in the cool of the day. However, their connection had to be deeper than that. I mean, God trusted Adam to name all the animals. He must have known something of his heart, his intelligence, his nature. He had to be a bit more intimately acquainted with Adam and Eve than what people make it out to be.  It was not just missing out on a leisurely stroll once a day that shattered God's heart and made Him sacrifice His life for its redemption! No, it was real love and real connection with the ones created for "oneness" with the Creator! It was intimacy and ecstasy with the choice creation that made passion rise from within to save the day! A walk through the park would not have incited such a riot within. No, not in the least.

For me, acquaintance is not enough. I want more. I want deeper. I want what Enoch had: true intimacy with God!