I actually believe the Bible to be true. I take it literally, which means, the meaning the author intended to convey when he originally wrote. If the writer was writing to capture historic events, it is historical. If the writer meant to use a figure of speech, you figure that out to the best of your ability. All that to say, I believe the original creation story. I read this week and pondered for the first time, the time gap between when Eve ate from the tree and Adam was figuring out what to do. Eve was “fallen,” Adam had to choose where his loyalty would lie, Eve or God? He chose Eve. Men have been faced with that same choice down through history and for the most part Eve has been the choice for us as well. Looking back to my previous articles, my mom is a very dominant personality and a huge impactor of my life, like most moms are! You never see an NFL guy after scoring a touchdown say, “Hi dad!”
I shared earlier how I’m discovering I tend to passively disengage from my family. This week as I’m pondering all this, I see that passivity has tenacles that are far reaching in my life. I enjoy someone else taking responsibility for me and my life. I’d rather work for a company than be responsible for my own business. Though I have a million ideas, I’ve never pulled the trigger on any of them. I’d rather someone else make decisions for me that effect my life. Then I can be a critic and spectator but can say, It wasn’t my choice. I can advise my superiors how they could do a better job but when I am in the top position, I tend to freeze up not knowing what to do.
What I’m learning is all of life and life participants are imperfect, including me, but I am called to actively participate in life. I am to engage at all levels. I need to grasp opportunity and responsibility and stop waiting on life to happen to me!
I read recently a line that hit me hard. If life is like a game of checkers, most of us are waiting on God to make His move, but God says, I moved first, its your move!
I will continue to explore how far reaching this passivity is. I know this. Passivity is largely where the “cup half empty” originates. I am waiting for something, some opportunity outside of me to take the responsibility to fill the cup the rest of the way! If I’m waiting on “something or someone” to fill my cup so I’m happy, I’ll never be happy.
That is my cup, I must fill it to the level I desire. How about overflowing?
blessings,
Scott
REALfitness by Scott 
Scott
Your chronicle of personal exploration is quite interesting. I’m not sure if the comment section of your blog is meant for supporting opinions only, but I’m going to take a stab at a few things.
While I am not challenging your faith in the least, I believe there is an inherent danger in a literal interpretation of the bible, more specifically the Old Testament. You make reference to the veracity of the authors. In the instance of the narrative of Adam and Eve, certainly one would acknowledge that it was not written by an eye-witness account, rather by those insprired by God and from narratives passed orally from generation to generation. Human nature is to alter, amend or pervert lore.
Joseph Campbell dedicated a great deal of his professional life to exploring, defining and explaining mythology among the major religions. While I am not relegating all religion to having their basis’ in mythology, any student of religion would admit that mythology is a tool common among all of them.
Having been raised in the Catholic faith and having had the opportunity to explore other religions, Christian and other, I have found what I would call the common threads of each. Interestingly enough, these common threads weave the same figurative garment, regardless of where you start. It is my opinion, based in deep personal experience , that one should look beyond the stories and accounts, and view them more as we do Jesus’ parables. They seem to be telling us what God intends and what God means. A literal interpretation can cloud or even obliterate the meaning.
As for your realizations of passivity as it pertains to how you relate to family and others, please take a few moments to see how sociology and psychology may play a major role in that. You and I were raised in what may be preceived as the last generation where morality, ethics, solid family structure and faith were major components of our daily life.
We have our placement in time and the evolution of the human society to both our advantage and disadvantage. I believe environment (nature) more so than nurture plays a large role in our worldy development. I believe our development in faith and personal experience with God is a far different thing.
Your self-admitted passivity may be better solved or eliminated through introspection and daily maintenance, rather than by looking for cause and effect.
I have always known you to be good person. You have left an easily discoverable trail behind you of where you have been and what you have done in your near 6 decades on earth. From what I have read, you are to be commended for your many accomplishments and your wonderful walk in faith. I know it has not been easy and the enemy has stepped upon your path many times.
Thank you for this opportunity to respond and be part of this.
Jim