Genesis 3:16

"To the woman he said, 'I will greatly multiply your pain in childbearing; in pain you shall bring forth children, yet your desire shall be for your husband, and he shall rule over you" (Genesis 3:16 RSV).

Comment:

By choosing to eat the fruit of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, Adam and Eve have chosen to enter into an experience of duality. Essentially, they have chosen to be creative—to make choices that will allow the divine Creation to continue to express through them. This is clearly a choice that is supported by the Lord of their being, who put the tree in front of them, created the tempting serpent, and waited for them to exercise their free will to decide to assume their proper roles as expressions of His own Divinity. So this is not, as is often believed, a declaration of punishment. It is a loving statement that there will be consequences to the choice they've made. Giving birth to anything—to a child, or an idea, or a work of art—is challenging. We will encounter resistance, and resistance can be painful. But from the moment they step into the illusion, the Presence of God is with them, guiding them and encouraging them as they learn how to express their spiritual power. We have come a long way in that spiritual process. We know now that pain is not a punishment from God, but an expression of our own resistance. The more fully and joyfully we surrender to the creative process that is always seeking to express through us, the more easy and calm the process will be. I affirm for your friend that she feels the infinite love of God enfolding her and supporting her through the entire, rich experience of giving birth to a new expression of the divine.   Blessings! Rev. Ed