In the beginning…10. Planning Room

After that, Jesus secluded himself to work on the most daunting task to this point in creation. He was designing all the different land animals. He enlisted Gabriel’s aid in this part of the plan, because of the latter’s sharp mind. The angel made observations and suggestions as he perused the stack of drawings that had once occupied that corner table. The purple cloth had long since been removed, the papers moved to the larger work table, and the size of the pile had nearly tripled.

Gabriel thought Jesus should make large groups of animals with similar characteristics and then smaller groups within those large groups. They agreed again to let man do all the naming of the specific animals when “the time was right” someday. The drawings were the fun part of the job; deciding on the traits of the individual creatures was more tedious. Throughout all the designing, Jesus never for a moment lost sight of his goal: to make a world with so much variety that man would be absolutely thrilled every day of his life on Earth with all the creativity and beauty. So they worked “around the clock” with ideas coming quickly to both laborers. Soon there were literally hundreds of stacks filling the large room.

One day, after putting the finishing touches on the drawing of a small, oblong creature with a myriad of legs, Jesus looked at Gabriel sorting papers across the room and stated, “Gabe, that’s a rap; I think we’re ready. Would you, please go and fetch my father?”

“Sure will,” Gabriel replied.

Just as he rose and started to move toward the door, a shadow appeared there. “Won’t be necessary to summon me, Jesus,” God interjected. “I’ve known for the last hour that you would be completing this task at this precise time.”

“You used your omniscience!” Jesus exclaimed.

“Hope you don’t mind, Son,” the Father countered. “I’ve been keeping pretty close tabs on you for quite awhile now.”

“That’s all right. I don’t mind. Not really,” Jesus continued. “I think we’re done here. We’re ready for you to create all the land creatures. Sorry it took so long, but I had to break several times to practice with the choir. Allen insisted and frequently cajoled me with more good-natured threats to ‘Call my father.’ The celebration of your glory is planned for the day after this last creation day. We’re ready for that, too. I think.”

“Sounds wonderful. What have you done about the man we discussed?” God asked.

“His diagram and schematic are there on the corner table,” Jesus explained.

“That’s a much smaller pile on that corner table than the last time I was here,” God noticed.

Gabriel pointed out, pausing in his work of bundling all the other piles of drawings for the much-anticipated trip to the overlook, “There’s only one drawing for man, but Jesus must have written fifty pages of lists and detailed specifications. They’re all there under the purple cloth. It’s kind of like the place of honor among all the sheets in this room.”

 “Interesting,” God said nodding.

“You see, Dad,” Jesus began, “while man is quite similar in many ways to a lot of the other mammals, birds, and fish; he’s also very different. He doesn’t just have circulatory, respiratory, reproductive, and other body systems that must function perfectly together.”

“And be totally explainable to man once he develops to the point of understanding all that about himself,” Gabriel cut in. “Isn’t that what you said you were trying to accomplish, Jesus?”

“That’s right Gabe;” Jesus continued, “but man also has instincts like the other animals along with an ability to learn and think and be curious. He has a very complex personality that can know love and joy and many other emotions that the other animals don’t have, at least not to man’s degree.”

“And what about the variety; tell your Father about the variety, Jesus!” Gabriel interposed excitedly.

“All right, Gabe,” Jesus renewed the narrative. “Father, you know that one of my main objectives is to design the world of mankind with lots of creative variances so it will be beautiful, awe-inspiring, and so that he will never cease to marvel at its wonders. The way all the living creatures and even mankind reproduce after their own kind is one of the best examples.”

“What precisely do you mean, Son?” God asked.

“Well, Gabe and I pondered for hours over that issue and decided that fish, birds, reptiles, insects, and man would all reproduce in unique ways,” Jesus explained.

“That’s right!” Gabriel interjected. “Some will lay eggs while others have live births! It’s all so amazing!”

“I know, Son,” God affirmed. “You and Gabriel have accomplished the goal of creativity in a truly incredible way; and you’ve done an outstanding job in all aspects of that so far with the wide assortment of vegetation created on Day 3 and the diversity of fish and fowl on Day 5. Even man’s sky with its ever-changing cloud formations and weather will add to his enjoyment.”

“And don’t forget those Day 4 additions,” Gabriel reminded them. “Mankind will marvel at the sun, moon, stars, and planets placed in their heavens for enjoyment.”

God assured them, “That’s all true; and I expect nothing less of your designs for the animals and man himself.”

“Well, I think we’ve got it!” Jesus announced. Then he offered, “Father, do you want to look at the plans before we go and make it happen?”

“I already have. I hope you don’t mind. You know, I have lots of that same trait you are instilling in mankind,” God said.

Jesus understood, “Curiosity?”

“Yes, Son,” God kept on. “I hope it’s okay. I’ve followed your Day 6 plans from my throne room every moment. Thought it would be better than actually looking over your shoulder.”

“Sure, Dad, you’re the boss,” Jesus pointed out not even a slightly perturbed. “Thanks for letting me do all this work by hand. It’s been a blast.”

“A blast?” Gabriel queried. “I’ve never heard you use that expression before.”

“Just something man will say thousands of years from now,” Jesus informed him.

“Oh,” Gabriel uttered with some understanding. “Sometimes I forget that you’ve got your Father’s powers, including omniscience. Wish I had some of that.”

“Now don’t go getting envious on us, Gabe.” Then turning toward his father, he continued, “So what’s next, Father?”

God replied, “I guess we spread the word that we will meet at the overlook.”

“In the meantime we figure out how we want to get all these mounds of paper transported there,” Gabriel thought aloud. “We could get all the angels to stop by on their way to the event and grab a bundle each.”

“I’ve got a better idea,” God pronounced. Then he simply lifted his hand stretching it into the room. Suddenly, as though with a mind of their own, all the piles seemed to instantly condense collectively to the size of a small book and leap into God’s palm.

The Father and Son both looked at the corner table. Then they made eye contact and God smiled. “May I, Father?” Jesus asked.

God nodded. Jesus smiled and then reached toward the very important pages under the purple cloth. The process was repeated on a smaller scale and a tiny booklet appeared, bound now in purple, in the palm of Jesus’ hand.

“I think we’re ready. Gabe, go spread the word,” Jesus announced.

“No need,” God stated. “Everyone already knows.”

“How?” Gabriel inquired.

“My Father’s omnipotent thought,” Jesus explained. “Let’s go to the overlook. Everyone will be waiting.”

“Oh, boy!” exclaimed Gabriel. “This is going to be awesome!”

[to be continued]