“Father, I do not understand. Please don’t speak to me in dark speeches. Not today, and certainly not on this matter.”

The weight around her heart lessened as she said her prayers. She got up from her knees, turned off her bedside lamp and retired for the night.

Earlier that day, she had a brief ‘chat’ with one of her big sisters. The subject of the conversation was nothing she expected.

“Lola dear, I believe God wants you to work on some rough edges. I can’t tell you the details of what He told me, but I must say, stop hiding them. Let Him smoothen them all.”

Years of dealing with Mama as she was fondly called taught her never to discard her words of advice and correction.

Dear Lord, what are these rough edges? Can you show me? How can I present them to you for repair when I don’t know what they are?

With these thoughts, she fell asleep.

* * *
Where am I?, she thought to herself. Looking around, she took in her environment- the hallway of what appeared to be a house, quite bright and beautiful. Suddenly, she heard a noise outside the house. She moved in the direction of the noise and saw a young lady walk into the compound. She looked a mess, her clothes even had mud splattered over it.

Where could she be coming from looking like this?, Lola wondered.

The lady went into the house and headed for one of the bathrooms down the hall. She came out some minutes later, looking clean but something was wrong. She still had on the dirty clothes from before and from her movements, she planned on leaving the house that way.
Deeply concerned, Lola walked up to her with the aim of correcting her. Probably it was an oversight, she thought.

“Hello dear”

No reply.

“Young lady, I’m talking to you”

She moved closer and gave the young lady a tap on her shoulder.

“It’s not a good idea to go out in these dirty clothes. You cannot take off dirty clothes, have a bath only to put them on again. It’s as good as not having a bath.

She finally looked her way, startled, as though she just realized she was not alone in the room.

“What do you mean it’s not a good idea? I just had a bath. I’m clean now.”

“That is highly debatable right now, considering the fact that the dust and dirt from your clothes are on you again. Yes you had your bath, but you put on your old dirty clothes!”

“What does it matter to you? Is it your business? And does it change the fact that I just had my bath?”

Looking really angry at this point, she went for the door. Lola was right behind her.

“Surely you can’t mean to go out like this. No one would approach you this way. Many may even mistake you for a mentally unbalanced person. I think you should go back, have another bath and put on new clothes this time.”

“Why can’t I go out the way I am? What’s wrong with my clothes? I did see a white robe in the bathroom, but I didn’t feel like wearing it. So, I left it there. But why would people think something is wrong with me?”

“Cos you’re dirty, or rather, you appear to be. The stench from your dirty clothes has contaminated the fragrance of the soap. If you leave it for too long and head out, no one would even think or believe you just had a bath.”

The young lady looked genuinely confused.

“But I just did. You saw me, and I know God did too!

Lola took a deep breath this time. Help me Lord. Help me to help her see. She spoke gently.

“I know you did, but what is the evidence now?”

* * *

“Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry” Col 3:5 KJV

“8 But now ye also put off all these; anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy communication out of your mouth.
9 Lie not one to another, seeing that ye have put off the old man with his deeds;
10 And have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him:
12 Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering;
13 Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye.
14 And above all these things put on charity, which is the bond of perfectness.” -Col 3: 8-14 KJV

“12 The night is almost gone; the day of salvation will soon be here. So remove your dark deeds like dirty clothes, and put on the shining armor of right living.
13 Because we belong to the day, we must live decent lives for all to see. Don’t participate in the darkness of wild parties and drunkenness, or in sexual promiscuity and immoral living, or in quarreling and jealousy.” -Rom 13:12-13 NLT

“But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof.” -Rom 13:14 KJV

“That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts;” -Eph 4:22 KJV

“And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.” -Eph 4:24 KJV

Grace to you beloved,

Sinuola.