Games. People play them. It starts when we first learn to drop our toy from the high chair. Games of manipulation, games of charm, games of the mind. Games were played even before infancy. They began with original sin, when the serpent played a game with Eve. A game of temptation which we all know lead to a path of destruction and turmoil.
The problem with games is that they can have two results, joy and heartache. Joy and heartache come in all forms. We can be exceedingly happy about a certain event in our lives and feel as though we are "on top of the world." We can be silly, happy, carefree and immature, or just plain old glad about life. When we turn the tables, heartache rears its ugly head and rips at the very core of our hearts. Heartache can destroy joy. We can be so happy and then bad news falls upon our ears and our joyful hearts come crashing down. Heartache can eat you up inside-- if you allow it to but at times we have no control, no choice, it takes us over. The real question in the war between joy and heartache is not who wins but how do we cope during the battle without becoming a casualty.
Eve was a victim of heartache. She was so joyful in the garden with Adam. They had it made--perfect home, perfect beauty and perfect love. Her heart was bubbling with joy! Then she made a choice. She made a decision that effected her life and the lives of the whole world. She traded her great joy for what she thought would be an even greater joy. Unfortunatly her choice was a fatal one and her heart broke. Thus freewill was born.
Eve gives us an important insight. Her heartache teaches us about real joy and pseudo joy. Was Eve's choice based on the reasoning that she was not truly joyful? Was paradise not enough for her and Adam (we musn't forget that Adam made a choice too but let's not play the blame game here)? Was there some empty part of their souls that longed to have more? If we think the answer to these questions is yes, then I wonder if our joy is real or not. Are we truly content in our joy or does it just last a little while like a high untill we find the next fix for our discontent hearts.
