“Boys!  Settle down!  Come over here.   Stop bothering your brother and listen.”

“Yes father,” they replied in unison jostling each other as they sit at his feet.

“Remember the stories I’ve been telling you?”  The father replied.

“Yes, father”

“Boys it’s so important that you remember.   Carry these stories with you and remember them always.   You will tell your children these stories so that our identity as a people will never be forgotten.”

“Father, tell us about the animals” one replied.

“No. NO! I want to hear about the fruit and flowers in the garden.” The other one yelled.

“Okay boys settle down” the man chuckled, “I will tell you both, because it was a wonderful time, a time that will live in my mind as both joy and deep sorrow.

Everything was perfect.  Your mother and I would awaken every morning with an incomparable joy, we loved each other, and we loved our home.  It was a time of peace and happiness, we had no worry and everything we needed was provided without work or effort.

One day I was called to work on an incredible task that consumed my time for days.  Abel, you would have loved it, a parade of animals passed in front of me, the most beautiful parade you can imagine.  The diversity and beauty of the parade was beyond anything you have ever seen.  I was given one of the most important jobs of all I NAMED each animal. “

“Oh father, it is more than I can bear to think about.  That deer over there;  you made up that name?”

“Yes son, and when I spoke the name it was recorded as …..”

“What about the fruit father what about the fruit?  I want to know about the plants in the garden not the animals” Cain interrupted.

“Well, son every plant grew…well it just grew.  Every plant provided more fruit than could possibly be eaten.  We had only to walk and choose what we would eat for the day.  There were no weeds threatening to choke the plants like in our fields.

It was wonderful, the Lord would sometimes lead us..

Abel interrupted, “Father tell us about the Lord, he is so wonderful I love…”

Cain pushed Abel and yelled “If He’s so great why don’t we have things so great anymore?”

“CAIN! ENOUGH!  Both of you listen and write this on your hearts as a lesson for generations.”

Adam sobbed softly as the boys silently stared at their father until he continued, “We had everything and we lost it.  The Lord created us for His purpose and put us in His garden to be a part of His family.  We even look like him.  He placed us above everything else he created but we were not satisfied (sob) with just dominance over creation.  Your mother and I were convinced that we wanted to be more like Him.  We wanted decision power and knowledge so we did the one thing the Lord had forbad; we ate of the tree that made us like God.

It was my fault (sob), the Lord God loved us so much and we couldn’t even obey the one command He gave us. “

Both boys sat quietly now.  They had seen their father cry before while telling this story.   They knew how to act.

“Boys, the Lord God loves us.  We let him down before and I don’t want us to let him down again.  Everything you do should be dedicated to Him.  Present your best to Him always, be on your best behavior, bring him the best of your labor, and be prepared to surrender everything to please Him.

Remember my stories, because being in the presence of the Lord and part of his family is wonderful beyond compare.  Love God and he will let us back in some day I just know it. Now go along and play but be nice to each other.”

As Cain ran away Adam could not make out what the boy was mumbling about and a deep worry clouded his heart.   Cain and Abel grew over the years and were always reminded of the stories of the garden and how to please God.

Now Abel kept flocks, and Cain worked the soil. In the course of time Cain brought some of the fruits of the soil as an offering to the Lord. But Abel also brought an offering—fat portions from some of the firstborn of his flock. The Lord looked with favor on Abel and his offering, but on Cain and his offering he did not look with favor. So Cain was very angry, and his face was downcast.

Then the Lord said to Cain, “Why are you angry? Why is your face downcast?  If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must rule over it.”

Now Cain said to his brother Abel, “Let’s go out to the field.” While they were in the field, Cain attacked his brother Abel and killed him.

Then the Lord said to Cain, “Where is your brother Abel?”

“I don’t know,” he replied. “Am I my brother’s keeper?”

The Lord said, “What have you done? Listen! Your brother’s blood cries out to me from the ground. Now you are under a curse and driven from the ground, which opened its mouth to receive your brother’s blood from your hand.  When you work the ground, it will no longer yield its crops for you. You will be a restless wanderer on the earth.”

Cain said to the Lord, “My punishment is more than I can bear. Today you are driving me from the land, and I will be hidden from your presence; I will be a restless wanderer on the earth, and whoever finds me will kill me.”

But the Lord said to him, “Not so; anyone who kills Cain will suffer vengeance seven times over.” Then the Lord put a mark on Cain so that no one who found him would kill him.  So Cain went out from the Lord’s presence and lived in the land of Nod, east of Eden. Genesis 4:2-16 (TNIV)