Daughter Dearest,
Musing in the moment, I am embarking on another trip, a women’s conference in Georgia, themed ‘Enjoy The Journey’. Miles above sea level, yep your guess is as good as mine, heading to Georgia (not on a midnight train though, leave that to Gladys and her Knights (oops I meant Pips), I am airborne. The taxi ride to Heathrow terminal five was ok, we left after the rush hour traffic on the M25, the ony snag was the taxi smelt of weed.
“Mother” I can hear your voice as you roll your eyes disapprovingly. I should have demanded another cab, but I was running late and I do have a plane to catch (and the cab company is reputable) infact your Aunt had recommended the service. The cab driver eventually dropped me off at terminal 5 but I must say, I did wonder if I smelt of the stuff. I can see the headlines now, “Mother, and an esteemed woman of the cloth (just a fancy way of saying clergy/pastor), going through security at LHR Terminal 5 smelling rather suspect”. Anyway, I made it through security without incidence, thank heavens and then made a bee line to the Jo Malone concession in the duty free shop. I always indulge in the luxurious hand massage before boarding the plane. Today will be pomegranate body cream, finishing off with a spray of vintage Gardenia. The shop assistant was very kind and suggested I spray as much V.Gargenia to pamper myself. I then admitted to her that I most certainly will, as the cab I came in smelt of weed!
“Here, take the bottle and squirt as much as you wish” she offered…the lady unwittingly interrupted my musings.
Now to our last conversation, we did not quite finish our tete a tete on sexual purity. How does one stay pure? Simple! Don’t do “it.” “It” seems to be everywhere, you can not even watch a commercial on tv for water, toothpick or even asparagus without sexual undertones. Sex texting, social media, the remote control, every where there is a subtle message that says, “Do it.”
Sexual purity whether one is married or not is a matter of covenant. Now that is a powerful word. Covenant in marriage means, I vow to give my love expressed in the safety of marriage to no other but my spouse. To the single it means, I have pledged, vowed to give my body to no other than my Lord. Preserve me O lord, be a custodian of my body, your temple.
It will require grace…grace the God given ability to be what I cannot be on my own, to do, what I can of myself not do. It will require love. I have progressively come to know and experience the love of of God and I do not want to go against His wish for my life, so I pray “Help me Lord.” Why would I knowingly hurt the one I love? I may even tell others, I am on a quest for sexual purity. I practise celibacy . I am accountable, I may wear a symbol of my commitment, a purity ring. I learn to draw boundaries around my mind (the images I allow or not allow). I will boldly delete ‘friends’ from Facebook or phone contact list who violate or defile my space. This is a ‘porn free zone’. I am not ‘holier than though’ but I am holy, no apology. And yet we do make mistakes, we indulge, sin is pleasurable, a ‘fleeting enjoyment’ Paul said in his letter to the Hebrews.
I remember a conversation with a young lady in the Ladies room at a conference, nothing like the ladies room (powder room) for the real plenary. And she said to me, she was tired of engaging in sex outside of marriage, emotionally she was shattered. We prayed, I embraced her she wept, and I recall saying, “today can be a new day, a fresh start, blessed are the pure in heart, they will see….purity makes us see…and smell nice too, diffusers of grace.”
Think about crystal clear water, fresh fallen snow, fresh rain on the earth. Talk of which, I saw irises the other day, as I went for my morning walk. Yes, irises beginning to bud, oh spring, a sign of new life…(in greek, the word iris means rainbow). Today, a fresh start, as we enjoy and encourage the journey to a place of sexual wholeness….let’s start a revolution
I like the way Eugene Patterson expressed the truth about sexual purity, a paraphrase of another letter, a letter to the Corinthians. Have a read over 1 Corinthians 6:11-20 (MSG) Very apt.
And now you ask, “Mother, how is it you know the smell of weed?” I am a university graduate, class of 81….our dormitory corridor sometimes smelt of the stuff. On that note, STAY PURE….Now I have ‘Georgia on my mind’, fasten seat belt signs are on…plane is taxing…
Love and Grace to you
Mother xxx
Written By Pastor Abby Olufeyimi