Eve the first mother

Genesis 3:20 (ESV)

The man called his wife's name Eve, because she was the mother of all living.

There are people all over the world, past and present, who have wanted to be the first at something. First to reach a high mountain top, first man in space, first person to do this and that. There are many "firsts" but one first I don't think I would want to have been was to be the first mother. I'm glad Eve took that role on for all of us women.

I was thinking about Mother's Day coming up and somehow my thoughts ran to Eve and how things must have been like for her becoming a mother. Of course Eve was the first to sin and other firsts but being the first mother must have made it an interesting life for Eve.

Because of Eve's sin, we all know there is pain in childbirth but she still was the very first to go through it and how that must have been for her. She didn't have Lamaze classes she could attend. She didn't have any pregnancy books or even a doctor. No yearly check ups for her! And just think, no epidurals.

Eve didn't have anyone with her when Cain was born, telling her that, "Eve, women have been doing this for thousands of years. It will be alright".

No, she didn't have any of that. No birthing coach. There wasn't even another woman around that could be her midwife. No nurse at a hospital to wait on her and bring her first baby boy when he wanted fed. No one to take care of her, other than Adam, and he was the "first" husband, newly made and new to the whole thing of life and new to being a husband and father. I wonder how he did?

Eve didn't have any books to read on rearing kids. No famous child psychologist to fill her ears with all sorts of theories on child-rearing. No friends she could share with and discuss her children with. No other mothers to talk to while her boys played at the neighborhood park. No online support groups. She had to figure it all out on her own and do it all on her own.

Poor Eve. She didn't even have a baby store to shop at. She never even had a babysitter so she could get away with Adam for a date night when her first little ones were born. Eve didn't have a mom she could call up and ask advice from. Not even a mother-in-law, although I'm sure some of you may think that would be a good thing.

The Bible mentions Eve's sons, Cain, Abel, and Seth. The Bible also says (Genesis 5:4) that Adam and Eve had other sons and daughters as well. We don't know how many and we don't know to what age Eve lived but we do know (Genesis 5:5) that Adam lived until he was 930 years old.

I'm sure among all this, Eve must have enjoyed her children like all mothers do. I'm confident that Eve had wonderful moments with her first three boys and with her other children when they were babies, toddlers, and small children growing up as we all do with our children. I'm sure Eve had some beautiful memories throughout her life.

Of course, Eve saw heartache resulting from her children. To have the first murder happen within your family and have it to be one of your sons killing the other, must have weighed heavily on Eve.

I do not envy her the task of having to be the first mother to bury one of her children. How could some of us have handled being in Eve's situation?

There really are not too many details written about Eve in the Bible but I still think by reflecting on her life, we can be inspired.

Although Eve's life seems so far away from us and long ago, she still was a women and went through all the things moms do today. Emotions, feelings, childbirth, motherhood, child-rearing, and even was a grandmother, and probably lived to see great-great-great-great (and so on) grandchildren if she lived nearly as long as Adam. She went through all those things associated with being a woman.

Eve was the first woman and mother to go through it all.

I think we don't need to worry about concentrating on any "firsts" ourselves, but we should concentrate on Who we keep first in our lives. When we keep Christ first, it's then we begin to handle our lives like they should be handled.

Putting Christ first will help us as we work on being the kind of man, women, teen or child a Christian should be.

Dear Lord we thank You for what You do for each of us. Help  us to always put You first in all that we do. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.