Who is Eve?
Mystical Eve, the first woman. Who was she? What was she like? Even secular scientists acknowledge the existence of mitochondrial eibs, or the presence of descending ancestors in which all living things have fallen. The secret of DNA opens up the truth that the Bible has long declared.
God created Adam and put him to sleep so that he could make Eve out of Adam’s ribs. They were created in perfect harmony with each other.
What was Eve’s life like?
I try to imagine what it would be like to be created as a fully grown woman without instructions on how to become a woman or behave. Eve had no mother to teach her, but she walked with God.
She also had a perfect man, although only the only man. She walked through the garden with God in perfect paradise. She experienced none of the stresses we deal with today until she stopped obeying God. She ate fruit from the tree of knowledge of good and evil, and Adam joined her without words of protest. That choice brought separation from God and was exiled from the garden of Eden.
Suddenly, Adam and Eve’s life became extremely difficult. Adam had to work on the ground full of thorns and thistles, and only ate with the sweat on his forehead. For Eve, children will have terrible labor pains. Instead of talking face to face with God, there was a distance between man and God. Her children give us the first record of the bitter brotherly conflict that ends with the murder of Cain. There is no indication that Eve’s life has become easier after losing his son.
Eve’s last recorded words were, after she gave birth, “With the help of the Lord, I gave out a man.” (Genesis 4:1). God wants us to remember that after sin brought separation, she still cried out to him for help. She never forgot the god she walked with in the coolness of the evening.
When you miss the mark
Perhaps your mother wasn’t something that every girl dreams about. She was probably absent or present in her body, but she was unable to take care of her child. Not everyone has a mother who knows the right thing to say thoughtful notes at lunch. Some mothers can be very critical or lose control of their anger and emotions.
I often want my children not taking a lot of my sin. I regret that my children were very closely observers of sin. As mothers, no one feels our failures as much as our children.
When her mother fails, her sins affect not only herself but the whole family. Think about Eve. How often did we accuse her of falling into sin and bringing us with her?
Being a mother is a great privilege, but responsibility is heavy. Many of us cannot be confused with the biblical ideals of virtue and wisdom found in women. We must give other mothers the grace we desperately need.
My own story
My mother spent most of her childhood in an orphanage. Her mother was certainly absent. Still, the mother was a kind, caring and good mother.
I’m so happy that my mother loved me so much, but there was something she missed. God has provided many other women in my life and was able to fill those gaps.
Each of my paternal aunts had their own gifts. Aunt Brenda helped me learn to drive. Aunt Anne purposely listened to me, showing me how to get out of my reality and listen to others. Aunt Margaret taught us the art of the Southern serving hot Sunday dinners to our guests within 30 minutes of arriving at our home.
Each of these women, and more, is very important to me. I counted on them and they were elegant enough to come out of their routine to include me. They were generous with their mothers.
Caring for people without mothers
My husband and I stepped into the world of foster parents with so many unknowns. We were not stellar parents, but we are happy to try. Being a foster parent is a great way for mothers to include children who are unable to care for them.
I didn’t know much about the past of one small foster parent. Whenever we closed the door, we knew she was in panic. So we learned to keep the doors wide open. During the bath season, I learned how lacking this 7-year-old’s language skills are. She wasn’t taught how to count her body parts or her precious toes, but she knew how to laugh!
My heart hurts with so many things my mother had missed. It was easy to judge her failure as a mother, but filling those gaps and mothering someone else’s child brought more joy than I could have imagined.
We are mothers through God’s grace
Thank God to my mother for walking her humble motherhood. She did not give me much of my usual training, but her early morning memories are burned into my soul under the lamp where the Bible calls for her Heavenly Father.
Like Eve, she called out to her father in the midst of anguish. She reminds her of graceful forgiveness when dealing with the scars of her childhood. She still had plenty of space for bounty. Such grace does not come from within us. It must come from God Himself.
One day we will meet Eve. We all call out to our Father and walk together, not in the pain, but in the coolness of the evening, to face him.
____
By Laura Die
Laura is a family life author and missionary and is known for her commitment to strengthening marriage and family through Christ-centered ministry in Latin America. She is Roger’s wife, mom of four notable adult children, two daughters, two daughters, two daughters, and three cheerful grandchildren living far away. Roger and Laura are blessed with several foster children. They currently live in Windsboro, South Carolina.
Copyright©2025 by FamilyLife. Unauthorized reproduction is prohibited.
