PASSING THOUGHT: WE'RE MADE TO NURTURE AND GROW

It was pointed out to me recently by someone of a theologically superior mind that it is no coincidence that God chose to call the first man He created, "Adam." The name was given as a reference to the very material from which the man was made, earth -- or the ground we walk on and grow our food in. "The LORD God formed man from the dust of the earth" (Genesis 2:7).  

So, if All of God’s creatures were created from the ground, why was Adam the only one named after it (adamah/אדמה)? 

Our sages explain: While the animals were made in their completed form, both man and the earth were created in a basic, pure state. They both need to be further developed, and both required additional hard work to reach their full potential and bear fruit.

The secret you can only find when you understand Hebrew is also hidden in Adam’s name. It is the word dam (דם), meaning blood. This clearly shows that God’s most wonderful creation. Adam (which means “man”) was made to be flesh and blood from the very beginning. The Old Testament holds highly the significance of blood of living creatures, and it all seems to start here, in the name given especially to mankind, “Adam.”

We find that in Biblical Hebrew, nothing is coincidental. God gave a meaningful name to his blessed creature, man, and within it, imbedded an important message for humanity. Flesh-and-blood humans are purely of God, just as the earth, and like the ground, need further cultivation and development to reach their maximum potential.

Have you or I, dear friend, even begun to nurture or ideally reach, our full potential?

It is sad to think that most of us will go to our graves never having truly fulfilled our purpose in life because we did not give birth to our capabilities.

We sell ourselves short in accepting the status quo. Thereby not allowing ourselves to grow like the seeds we ideally plant.