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Cloths, Adam and Eve, and Doing What We Were Made to Do

Dad and I went fishing on the coldest day of the year. I wore so many clothes that I looked like the Michelin tire man. A guy strolled, and his dog jumped into the icy cold water. When he came out, he stood there thinking: “That was probably not a very good idea to get wet in this cold. I can’t towel off, and I didn’t bring a sweater.” The dog did not think those thoughts because he jumped in the water again.

At our family Christmas get-together, my brother dropped by with his poodle-mix dog. He was wearing a Santa Clause suit with an elf hat. The dog looked up at me as if asking, “Can you take these cloths off of me.” I told the dog that I would talk to my brother. I said, “John, I don’t think the dog needs all these clothes.” He replied, “He gets cold.” I responded, “Have you ever taken your dog with you fishing on the coldest day of the year. Go ahead, and you will see if he needs clothes.”

My point is this–we humans are the only creatures in the world that wear clothes. The Bible tells us why Adam and Eve sinned. Creatures of God do not sin. Did you ever tell a spider, “That is the worst web I have ever seen? I think you have a problem with laziness.” You will never say this because spiders do what they were made to do. You will never say to a robin, “That nest looks unstable. Do you not care about the safety of the little ones.” Robins do what they were made to do. The mayfly lives at the bottom of streams and rivers. After four years, they crawl out of their rock and float to the top, sometimes in dangerous currents. As they ride up, they take off, what I call, their wetsuit. When they reach the river’s surface, they dry their wings and fly away. I have a question. They spend four years underwater. How do they know how to fly? Mayflies do what they were made to do. Adam and Eve wear clothes because they do not do what they were made to do.

When I put on clothes, I am always reminded to do what I was made to do. And I was made in the image of God. I want to show God by imitating Him. Allow me to explain.

When my mother was in the nursing home, I used to visit her and take her shopping. One time when we returned, I parked her wheelchair beside a lady. I went to put away her purchases and returned with a blanket and water. After I placed the blanket over her, I held out the water, and she drank it from a straw. The woman beside her said, “Your mother must have been someone very special.” I replied, “She is.” “You can tell,” she said, “By the way you care for her.” Note that she did not call me special. She said my mother was special. I was the mirror. I imitated what she did for me.

The greatest job we will ever do is to show God to the world by imitating His kindness, generosity, forgiveness, and compassion. It is the most rewarding thing we will ever do because it is what we were made to do. 

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