Intimacy with the Father-Genesis 2:25

Good afternoon to all,
Intimacy is a word that is so misunderstood!  In Genesis 2:25 it says, 'Now, although Adam and his wife were both naked, neither of them felt any shame.'  Have you ever noticed how a little child can run naked through a room full of strangers without embarrassment?  He is not aware of his nakedness, just as Adam and Eve were not embarrassed in their innocence.  But after Adam and Eve sinned, shame and awkwardness followed, creating barriers between themselves and God.  We often experience these same barriers in marriage.  Ideally a husband and wife have no barriers, feeling no embarrassment in exposing themselves to each other or to God.  But like Adam and Eve (3:7), we put on fig leaves (barriers) because we have areas we don't want our spouse, or God, to know about.  Why?  Then we hide, just as Adam and Eve hid from God.  What?  Hiding from God!!!  You can't hide from the Creator!  He knows every hideout you can imagine even though you may think you are the best 'hide and seek' contestant ever!  In marriage, lack of spiritual, emotional, and intellectual intimacy usually precedes a breakdown of physical intimacy.  In the same way, when we fail to expose our secret thoughts to God, we break our lines of communication with him.  Today is January 3, 2011 and I challenge each of you to be 'real' in the coming year!  If you are married, you owe your Lord and your spouse your honesty!  I'm holding myself accountable also!  Instead of feeling threatened and creating barriers, ask God to clear your heart of any obstacles.  Meet your spouse where they need to be met and reach out to them without any ulterior motives.  If you are single, you aren't off the hook either!  The Lord still needs your intimacy (honesty)!  The more we become crystal clear, the less space we have to hide things and the more we grow in our relationships and this pleases God!
Your brother in Christ,
p