Heather Jephcott writes

The Fire Of Love, Producing Purity 

I was asked to go

everywhere, anywhere

to find "pure."

In my searching

I was given the goal of truth

not some airy fairy imaginative quality

flying away soon after arriving

but a lasting substance

enduring through the test of time,

the waves of troubles pounding

the glare of poisonous lust,

the busy rushing onslaught of life.

"Pure" was difficult to find.

Everything man touched

had difficulty fitting

this true description.

But I knew that what I desired to discover

was beautiful

a heavenly quality, a substance

full of glorious light, love and life.

Before me were clear directions.

If it was not found to be made by man

it must come from the one and only

the creator of all

of everything that exists.

If "pure" truly existed

He must be the giver.

So I came close to God

who is always near.

Firstly He gave me some words

and the instructions to eat

to digest.

These words eaten, digested 

enabled me to begin

on this life journey.

He told me to keep on eating

every time I grew hungry.

The journey He took me on

followed various paths

the first one was up a mountain path

I had to be pulled up,

I was not strong enough myself.

There was light on the mountain,

bright, red, searing light

and the closer I came the more I saw

flames, hot, red ones.

I was seeing the refiner's fire.

Part of me wanted to roll down the hill

away from the brightness, the heat.

Fear was trying to strangle my heart.

But quickly I was picked up

and carried

in the arms of love

up the mountain and through the flames

and coming out

a beautiful gold.

Love enabled me to understand

that wherever he was,

I need not fear

no matter how ghastly what was before

I saw that his way,

even through the flames and fire

was better than any other.

I began to understand

that "purity" was a process

and that he would take me

on various pathways to get there

none would necessarily be easy.

I would wiggle a lot

in the refining process,

even though I was surrounded

by kindness, grace

and he was always

right there with me.

From the mountain top I was put down

but still holding my hand

he led down into the valley

where I was told to rest in the green shade

right beside a flowing stream.

I was given fresh, pure, water

flowing out from the great I AM.

This was divine water

and all that it touched

it purified.

I was also discovering

that this process of refining,

becoming truly pure,

was happening repeatedly.

My heart, my thoughts

needed this pure divine water

and the sweet smelly heavenly soap

often

but the result

each time

was a shining

with beauty almost indescribable.

I found a zeal for goodness

revealed in meekness.

I also witnessed that eyes,

my eyes,

needed purifying.

What I saw, how I saw

enabled or disenabled

the purifying process.

The door to purity was open

wide and called to me quietly,

gently, strongly

to open all the doors

of every room of my heart

to allow the purifying stream

of God's grace to sweep

the floor, clean the windows

rearrange and tidy each room

with His love, forgiveness,

healing and forming.

Only God could take me on this journey

but it was I

who allowed myself to be taken

to be purified with his fire, his divine water,

his purifying agents.

 

 Horseshoe Cowboy by the Fire -- Mike Jackson