Curiosity Killed the Cat

Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the

wild animals the Lord God had made.  He said to the woman:

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

Genesis 3:1

I live with two female cats, George and Sapphire.  George is a very large lap cat.  Sapphire, on the other hand, is small, wiry, determined, and beyond curious.  She has learned that certain doors will open if she puts her paw under them and lifts up.  If there is a closed door in the house, she just has to get in there some how to see what she is missing. 

The closet door in my guest room does not latch well, so I have piled an ever-increasing number of  boxes in front of it to keep it shut.  During the night or while I am at work, Sapphire prods and pokes and paws and pushes until she gets the boxes far enough away that she can open the door .  The other morning, I noticed the closet door ajar, so I firmly shut it and pushed the boxes back in front.  When I got home from work, only Sapphire met me at the door.  When I set out their evening food, only Sapphire was there to eat.  I went from room to room, calling for George, to no avail.  As I passed the guest room, I remembered the morning’s closet door.  Sure enough, when I opened it, a slightly dazed George came tumbling out.

The third chapter of Genesis does not tell us how Eve came to be talking to the serpent in the first place.  Why was she even anywhere near the forbidden tree?  Curious?  No doubt.  Surely it wouldn’t hurt to just take a peek.  Surely it wouldn’t make any difference if she walked a little closer.  Surely it wouldn’t matter if she wanted to see the beautiful snake.  But it did matter, and Eve’s curiosity led to her disobey God’s direct command, and Adam followed right behind her. 

God does not lay down rules to be arbitrary, or to spoil our fun.  He is our Creator, and He knows what is necessary in order for us to live life to the fullest.  I don’t know if Sapphire will ever learn to trust my judgment on closed closet doors, but I hope that I am willing to trust God’s will and purpose for my life.