"You spoke the words and all the worlds came into order
Waved Your hand and planets filled celestial skies
You placed the woman and the man inside the garden
And though they fell they found compassion in Your eyes."_[1]

Close your eyes and imagine with me...complete and utter darkness.  Darkness so inky black that you cannot see your own hand in front of your face.  Suddenly you hear a voice...strong, yet filled with loving compassion, "Let there be light!"  Instantly and from out of nothing light surrounds you.  The voice calls it "day" and the darkness he calls "night".  You've never seen anything like it.  It should be frightening and yet you are comforted.  With words a majestic blue sky appears between the heavens and the void earth.  You stand in awe as suddenly the Voice speaks and waters on the earth begin to move and dry land surfaces as though rising in worship to it's Maker.  Vegetation begins to spring up from the land.  In a matter of minutes the ground is covered with beautiful flowers over every kind and trees raising their branches to heaven.  You gasp the moment you hear the Voice place creatures in the sea and incredible birds in the air.  Their songs praise the Voice and your heart races with anticipation.  Suddenly creatures begin to appear on the land.  You couldn't even imagine all of the various species you see.  How could it possibly get any better than this? 

The Voice then says, "Let us make man in our image, in our likeness, and let them rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, over all the earth, and over all the creatures that move along the ground."   Man?  Who is this man?  The Creator saved the best for last....and He took His time.  He counseled with the Trinity over what the man would be, what attributes he would have and the power he would have.  He didn't just speak the man into existence, although He most certainly could have.  Instead, He took some dust from the ground and personally formed the man.  When his body was formed, the Voice breathed into the man's nostrils and suddenly the man came to life.

Can you picture what it must have been like to witness all of this?  And then, can you imagine how the angels must have held their breath when they heard God say, "It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him."  God didn't gather dust from the ground.  He didn't speak her into existence as with the other aspects of creation.  No, He took part of the man and formed woman.  Two very different beings, yet equally in the image of God. 

"So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them."  ~ Genesis 1:27

God took us from being "without form, and void" like the earth to forming us into His likeness and filling our void with His Breath of Life.  The moment He breathed us into being He knew we would turn from Him and taint His image with sin.  He knew the price He would give to be close to us again...to walk with us, to enjoy our company and we His.  He knew that one day He would make a way for us to not only bear His image but to become His temple,  His children, His love and His heirs to His throne...

Then I heard what sounded like a great multitude, like the roar of rushing waters and like loud peals of thunder, shouting:  "Hallelujah! For our Lord God Almighty reigns. Let us rejoice and be glad and give him glory!"  ~ Revelation 19:6-7a