Category: Devotional

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Parts of a Scene: A Breakdown of Genesis 3

A stack of books

Every scene has five parts: an inciting incident, progressive complications, a crisis, a climax, and a resolution. The inciting incident disrupts the main character’s world. Progressive complications make the character’s life more difficult. The crisis asks the question, do I or don’t I? The climax is when the character takes action in regard to the crisis question. The resolution shifts the value of the story and moves the plot forward.

Consider Chapter 3 of Genesis. The serpent asks Eve questions and offers more insight about the tree (inciting incident). This changes the status quo world. Next, Eve eats of the tree and shares the fruit with her husband (complications). They then realize their nakedness, and hearing God walking in the Garden, they feel a desire to hide (more complications). The turning point complication comes when God addresses them directly. They have to choose whether or not to admit to having eaten the fruit (crisis). They admit it through the blame game (climax). God then tells them the consequences of their actions (resolution). In this case, the value shifts in a negative direction from life toward death.

Inciting Incident

“Did God really say, ‘You must not eat from any tree in the garden’?” (verse 1)

Progressive Complications

  • The serpent tells Eve she will not die but will have more knowledge.
  • Eve shares the fruit with her husband, Adam, and he too partakes.
  • They realize their nakedness.
  • They hear God walking in the Garden and hide.
  • God asks, “Where are you?” (verse 9)
  • Gods asks Adam, “Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree that I commanded you not to eat from?” (verse 11)
  • God asks Eve, “What is this you have done?” (verse 13)

Crisis

Do I admit to eating from the tree or not?

Climax

  • Adam blames Eve.
  • Eve blames the serpent.

Resolution

  • God curses the serpent.
  • God brings about pain in childbearing.
  • God curses the ground.
  • God brings about death.
  • God makes Adam and Eve clothing.
  • God banishes Adam and Eve from the Garden of Eden.
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Publication: God’s Plan or the Tree in the Garden of Eden?

Tree with drops of ice sparkling in the sunshine

Publication—it’s a dream for every writer, whether a magazine article, a novel, a poem, or a short story. It says I have succeeded as a writer. It says I have accomplished a lifelong dream. It says someone wants to read my writing.

As Christian writers, we know God has set forth a plan for us.

Sometimes, though, the mirage-like goal becomes like the tree in the Garden of Eden—a sparkling temptation. We want to know the future of our writing, so we submit when a piece is not ready. We put in more hours at the expense of family time. We forget to pray about our writing.

When I pray for my writing, I find more focus. While I cannot know the outcome of my writing, I write with joy because God designed me with a passion to write. The destination for my writing, I leave in God’s hands.

For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.

—Jeremiah 29:11

So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate; and she also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate.

—Genesis 3:6
Tree with drops of ice sparkling in the sunshine
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Watching the Eagles: An Adventure Along the Mississippi River

An eagle swoops down to fish in the Mississippi River.

A crisp wind blows across the Mississippi River in Clarksville, Missouri. Remnants of snow cover the ground. Chunks of ice float in the river. People walk along the sidewalk in the riverside park, their gazes toward the water. Photographers view the surroundings through super telephoto lenses.

Though the winter has brought about temperatures cold enough to freeze the Mississippi River in places, the lock and dam churns the water with enough force to break up the ice.

Despite the cold, I do not slip on my gloves or bury my hands in my pockets. Instead, I grasp the camera hanging around my neck, ready to capture a moment.

Hundreds of eagles perch in the trees across the river. Some stretch their wings, circling overhead. Others swoop down toward the water to scoop up fish in their talons, only to have to fight off another eagle. Sometimes they fly away with their catch; other times the fish falls back into the river.

This scene from our annual trip to watch the eagles reminds me of God’s provision. He has provided a spot on the river for the eagles to feast during the winter. For certain, I don’t need a super telephoto lens to see God’s provision. It’s on display in nature, ready to be seen.

Does the eagle soar at your command and build its nest on high?

—Job 39:27

Who provides for the raven its prey, when its young ones cry to God for help, and wander about for lack of food?

—Job 38:41

But those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.

—Isaiah 40:31

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As Far as the East Is From the West: A Train Adventure

The train rumbled along a stretch of track heading north from Fargo to Grand Forks, North Dakota. The overhead lights were turned down low and the train car quiet. My husband and I were headed to Montana for a mission trip sponsored by our church.

My eyes fell shut, but after endless shifting to find a comfortable position, I could not fall back asleep. The coach seats and my tall frame didn’t afford me the luxury of more sleep.

(The silver lining: Train seats afford much more legroom than airplane seats, so at least I wasn’t shoved into a tiny space, knees crunched to my chest!)

So, at last, at four in the morning, I stared out the window and saw flashes of lightning on the horizon. I decided to escape to the lounge care.

My only obstacle: passing by my sleeping husband without waking him. Did I crawl under or over his legs? Either way I risked jarring him awake. Over his legs seemed the more dangerous option because I could easily (and probably would) tumble over (or kick or elbow) him, so I crawled into the aisle (without jarring him!) and walked to the lounge car with its wide windows and scenic views.

To the east, the sunrise painted a blaze of red across the horizon. To the west, lightning flashed and dark clouds brewed.

That day, I witnessed two spectacular displays of nature, both created by God. This scene makes me think of Psalm 103:12:

As far as the east is from the west, so far does he remove our transgressions from us.

—Psalm 103:12 (ESV)
Dark clouds meeting a sunrise
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An Adventure in Iceland

Northern lights in Iceland

As with most of my vacations, once I hit the ground in Iceland I was ready to go, go, go, with perfectly planned schedule in hand. One credit-card snafu at the campervan rental company later and we were already off schedule.

I perked up quickly after my husband drove us through many two-lane roundabouts in Reykjavík. The city buildings disappeared and tundra-like landscapes dotted with sheep—lots of sheep—came into view. And those cute Icelandic horses, too!

At our first stop, also unplanned, at a scenic pullout, my husband pulled down the backseat bed and napped, claiming fatigue after our early morning flight from Chicago.

Me, I was ready to explore, but since we were in the middle of nowhere on the only major road in the country, I sat on the grassy hill and stared at the crashing waves. The September wind nipped at my face and echoed in my ears. I whispered a prayer of thanks for this adventure and this moment of quiet, reflecting on God’s blessings in my life.

But enough with the quiet. I was ready to have an adventure and hit every spot in my carefully planned (and slightly altered) itinerary. I opened the van door as quietly as possible. My husband was out cold in the backseat bed. I grabbed my camera and slid the door shut with a quiet thunk. I paced the hillside and took pictures of the view while I waited, sometimes staring at the van, willing my husband to wake up—and eventually he did.

For days, we explored museums about Iceland’s history alongside the other shoulder-season tourists. We meandered through villages. We watched waterfalls tumble over cliffs and glaciers calve icebergs. These were all amazing sights, but the highlight of the trip didn’t happen during the day among throngs of other people.

Every night I set an alarm on my phone for one in the morning, and every night I peeked out the window, hoping for a glimpse of the northern lights. One night, it happened. I shook my husband awake and my excited whisper filled the van. “There are green squiggles in the sky. I think it’s the northern lights.” (Sometimes I make the most brilliant comments.)

Indeed, it was the northern lights, my husband confirmed.

We bundled up, because September nights in Iceland bring a chill to the air. I set up my camera for long-exposure photos and glanced at the star-filled sky. A glorious display, for sure. But my mind stayed more focused on my photography than on the show in front of me or my husband beside me.

Change the shutter speed. Change the ISO. Wait for the click of the camera. Check the quality of the photo. Readjust settings. Repeat.

In this story, I feel like Martha in Luke 10. I worried about staying on schedule, seeing every sight, and capturing every moment on camera. I was worried about everything except the right things.

Yes, Iceland is beautiful and it’s nice to have pictures. But the most important part of any vacation is spending time with my husband (and yes, he still teases me about calling the northern lights squiggles).

“Martha, Martha,” the Lord answered, “you are worried and upset about many things, but few things are needed—or indeed only one. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.”

—Luke 10:41–42