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O Grandma *Papa, tell me about your mother. You never talk about her.
This "missing" person story was inspired by Genesis 4:13,...17, 18 +
'Papa, tell me about your mother,' insisted Enoch, 'You never talk about my grandparents. I never asked you before, but now that my own son Irad is born, I wonder. So now I am asking you.'
'That's true. It's a long story,' said Cain. 'Let's see. I haven't seen my mother or father in such a long time, I can hardly remember what they look like.
I do think about them often. Now that I have grandchildren of my own, I think back to what I kept asking myself.
"Am I my brother's keeper?"
Oh yes, I never wanted to talk about it. So I never talked about my mother ...or my father. Even your mother doesn't know everything about my previous life.
It's no use. The truth is that I killed my brother. I didn't even hide what I did. My parents found out quite soon.
I did the terrible deed in the field that gave me food. All because I was jealous! Jealous of what God thought about my sacrifice. I always thought that I had a better one than my brother. He, my brother, his name was Abel, had a better sacrifice for God. And when I saw that God favoured Abel, I couldn't get past that idea. I was downcast. I was ANGRY. Imagine being angry at God!
God gave me many gifts.
I didn't know that killing Abel would separate me further from our God.
So now you know why I have kept telling you all these years to be your brother's and sister's keeper!
After I had killed Abel, my mother was downcast. She was so upset. Imagine losing 2 children on the same day! The Lord let me know that I would be a wanderer. And that I was. My mother knew I had to leave. But now she didn't have me as a son either.
My mother's name is Eve. Wife to Adam.
What else can I remember? Oh, their story in Eden. About the tree of knowledge of good and evil. About walking with God in the cool of the evening in the luscious garden. Their banishment because they disobeyed. She told me about my birth. About how she and Adam got along.
I can tell you a lot. But, you know, my mother could tell you all this herself. And my father too. After all, it was not YOU who killed Abel.
You know, I don't think Eve, my mother, knows that I am building a city. Third one I tried. Doesn't know that I am married and have you as my son.
Do decide for youself, what you want to do. Let me know before you decide to go or not to go for sure.
O my son, Enoch, I have loved you more than you know. Understand and know that you ARE really your brother's and your sister's keeper.
Not just that. You do not need to suffer wandering aimlessly in your life.
Be happy with the gifts God and we, your parents, give to you and those who are close to you.
You need each other and all those gifts!'
'Thank you, father, for telling me,' said Enoch. I didn't know. I will think carefully as to what I am going to do.
What do you think? Are your parents still alive? Do you think you may have younger brothers and sisters?
You know what? I have decided to find out.'
The family history:
Adam
>was father to> Cain, who killed his brother
>Enoch
>Irad
>Mehujael
>Methushael
>Lamech, who killed a youth who injured him...
(Was it self-defence?)
He was father to
>Jabal and Jubal, Tubal-Cain and Naamah (sister)
Were they their brother's and sister's keeper?
Each had a skill the others should have appreciated and needed.
One raised livestock; another was into the audio arts; another was a metal worker and the sister did womanly work?
Did each choose God at one point in their lives to continue to do good in the eyes of the Lord? What do you think?
Lord, God of the fatherless and God of those that have not known their grandparents or other relatives, have mercy.
Help deal with painful memories.
Satisfy the longing for knowing about relatives.
Help make decisions about whether to contact anyone.
Help deal with family stories.
Thank you for remembering with forgiveness.
Lord, give us hope for coming generations.
Amen.
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