"Washed Just For My Daddy's Kiss" (True Celebrities VI)

Photo by M. Torsello
How can I ever forget the day I had to wash myself before she let my daddy kiss me? The date was August 7th,1991: the first day of my 7th year on earth. At 10:25 a.m the maids were in the backyard setting up the scene for my 7th birthday party, and the compound was in chaotic adornments of balloons, music, misfit colors, and rented chairs.

But today, a greater event would occur. My father was to return back home from his thirteen-week business trip to Aznakayevo, a city in Russia. To tell you the truth, I was excited more about his return than about a party celebrated with the rich ill-mannered obnoxious kids of our tight-knit community.

Anyway, the party had not started and I was bored to death, so I figured I'd go play in the backyard then come back in and take a bath. So I packed my hair in a bun and put on my favorite shorts. I ran past all the people setting up in the yard and went straight for the pond. I forgot that it would be slippery at this time of the day and was running too fast. It so happened that a stone shifted under my right foot as I ran causing me to slip and land painfully head-on into the mud by the pond. I was just glad I didn't fall into the pond. I started to giggle, it could have been worse. I sat down there with my muddy face and began to throw stones into the pond, hoping no one would find me. And that was when I heard his voice...

"Where is my daughter?"

Daddy...daddy!!! It was him. He was back. Yes!!!

I stood up with my muddy face, muddy hands, and muddy shorts and began to run back towards the house. Just as I entered through the back door I felt someone grab my right hand. It was my mother.

"Where have you been Temisan? I've been looking all over for you!"

"Sorry, mother."

"Well, you have to take a bath. Your pa can't see you like this."

Without waiting for my response she lifted me and went straight for the bath, while I cried because I wanted to see my daddy. She put me in the tub and ran the hot water. She transformed me from muddy to sparkling clean in less than five minutes. After my bath, I dressed up and went down the stairs. There he was, standing tall and firm. He opened his arms and I ran straight into them. He lifted me and kissed me.

"I'm back home Temisan. Daddy is back home."

Photo by ad-sight


* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * 

Today's celebrities are those who have once been muddy but are now washed clean. They are called the "pure in heart."

Greek: "μακάριοι οἱ καθαροὶ τῇ καρδίᾳ, ὅτι αὐτοὶ τὸν θεὸν ὄψονται." English: "Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God." (Matthew 5: 8)

The Greek word for "Pure" is καθαροὶ (Katharos). Before Christianity, Katharos was used to represent many things: 

"physically clean; free from admixtures (e.g. pure water and plain white bread); free from debt; free from guilt; free from pollution; a pure race; a document that is free from errors; pure wine or milk that hasn't been adulterated by water."

As I observed these original meanings I began to reflect on what Jesus must have meant by saying blessed are the "pure in heart.

Being pure in heart doesn't mean you weren't ever muddy. Or imperfect.

But it means that you've been placed inside the tub of the blood of Jesus, and His blood has WASHED you and made you unadulterated; giving you a focus on the one true thing that really matters. As human beings we go out each day and to get the pollutants off our skins we have to take our showers. To be free from debt we (or someone) has to pay up. To be free from guilt we have to be forgiven. To be a pure race our parents have to be of the same origin. To have an error-free document, it has to be edited. All these things form the origin of the word, but in Matthew 5 Jesus spoke of "purity" with respect to the "things of God": being free from the things of the world.

The Chemistry Class: 

If you've ever attended a Chemistry class (specifically "Separation Techniques"), you will know that there are various techniques like crystallization or distillation by which we can purify adulterated mixtures. At the end of the process, you will get the pure compound. That's how it is with God. He can look at our muddy faces and still plant kisses on our foreheads because He sees our hearts and our hearts have been crystallized (separated) from our faces. He has freely given us His son (who is also His word) so that we can have freedom from the impurities of this world. And the ones whose hearts will willingly be washed by His Word will see God.

They will not remember the times they fell head on into the mud. They will not remember their former sins or previous helpless states. But they will be washed by God's word and they will have a different mindset, "a pure heart." 


I'll leave you with an excerpt from William Barclay's book:


"How then shall we translate, Blessed are the Katharoi in heart? We must think of it this way- Blessed are those whose motives are absolutely unmixed, whose minds are utterly sincere, who are completely and totally single-minded. What a summons to self-examination is here! Here is the most demanding beatitude of all...the blessedness is to the man with the motive that is as pure as clean water..."


I don't know if this is the most demanding character in God's celebrities, but I believe that the purpose thereof is to bring out the best in all of us; to wash out the mud and cause us to focus on God's heart. To remove the scales from our eyes so we can see God clearly. I'd love to read your comments on "the pure in heart" too. Have a beautiful day/night :)

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27 comments:

Remi, United Kingdom said...

Firssssssssssst! and I say a big Amen to that! Thought provoking Jaycee...

I believe we must work with God to allow His grace to continually make and keep us in that pure state (once we have been washed). for just like the Israelites (who kept going back to sin), we have the tendency to go back to the mud; time after time- (in our thoughts or actions e.t.c) - then we have to get washed all over again (thank God for His mercy).

However, to get back into that bath and be washed by the blood of Jesus and washed all over again, it means that MUST BE AWARER of the fact that we have slindered off back into the mud (this is where we have to be careful not to compromise in any aspect of our lives)..thank God for His Holy Spirit who helps us with this awareness.


Also Jaycee, I would like to say a big thank you for the making me a guest blogger and for everyone who commented...I sure was blushing.. lol. All I do is through the power and grace of God. I am honoured to be able to shout, scream and write about Him, it indeed is a blessing. And I am glad people are being blessed by it.

Have a great week ahead..
Much Love x

Femme Lounge said...

a powerful message, and a good one for a monday morning.
Thank God for grace that offers us a second chance and sometimes, a third and even a fourth chance, when we do not deserve it.

Eyitemi Egwuenu said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Eyitemi Egwuenu said...

A very interesting post Jaycee. However why reading your story, another scenario came to my mind at this point:

"Where is my daughter?"

Daddy...daddy!!! It was him. He was back. Yes!!!

I stood up with my muddy face, muddy hands, and muddy shorts and I began to run back towards the house. Just as I entered through the back door I felt someone grab my right hand. It was my mother.

"Where have you been Temisan? I've been looking all over for you?"

"Sorry, mother."

"Well, you have to take a bath. Your pa can't see you like this."

It would have been interesting to see how your Daddy would have responded to you if he had seen you all covered in mud. Three statements leapt at me from the page while I read this section: The first by your Daddy, the second by you and the third by your Mummy:

Your Daddy said:

"Where is my daughter?"

You said:

"Daddy...daddy!!! It was him. He was back. Yes!!!"

And your Mummy said:

"Well, you have to take a bath. Your pa can't see you like this."

At the risk of been accused of having an overactive imagination, I was expecting that, what would follow would be your Daddy taking you in his arms, muddy face, muddy clothes and all.

What a scene that would have been but we would never know now because Mummy gave you a bath.

I can't help thinking that I wish most times as Christians, that we ran to God our Father with the same carefree and unhesitant abandon with which you ran to your Daddy, despite your mud-clad self.

I guess that the scripture that talks about coming boldly to the throne of grace applies even when we feel we have made mistakes, or are unworthy, and would rather not come before our Father.

Even in our muddy robes, and our unworthiness, the voice of our Heavenly Father would still echo the voice of your Daddy:

"Where is my daughter?"

and

"Where is my son?"

justjoxy said...

Glad God loves me, unconditionally. Even when I'm all muddy. Other people, and even our own mids pressure us into thinking we are too unworthy to come into His presence, but like Eyitemi said, we have an open invitation to come before the throne of grace, at any time. Thanks Jaycee, great start to the week.

daylight said...

I think it would be appropriate to say that God is in interested in the muddy 'us'. After all, Jesus did say that the physically well didn't need a physician. Only the sick do. He said this to explain why he mingled with the sinners.
Thank God for the great love with which he has loved us, calling us his own and bringing us into his light.

lani said...

wow.... great perspective + i should have listened in my chemistry classes.

But God is great, and it is great He is using you to motivate and inspire me and others.

God loves muddy me... I'm trying to luv muddy pple as well

Harry said...

hmmnn...

Jaycee I dunno how you do this but this is really something...

First, I love your pure in heart analogy. I think it clearly represents what we as Christians have to deal with on a daily. We are confronted with images from the media sometimes I wonder how I make it through. Jesus is telling us through this scripture that you are blessed when you understand that you we are made pure in Him and that our purity is not by our works but by constantly staying under the covering of the blood of Jesus, the blood that was shed for the atonement of our sins..

Second, this shows us the ultimate sacrifice for sins that Jesus did on the cross. We as humans on our own can NEVER be pure and seeing as God is a holy God, He cannot stand anything that is not pure... so what happens... Christ pays the sacrifice for sins, cleansing us in His blood making us pure inside...

I could go on and on because there is so much I can say...

This is beautiful1

Jennifer A. said...

@Remi...your comment has brought to our attention that it is actually a continuous process of self-examination. We need to constantly be aware of our character, and if we ever fall behind what God wants us to be we need to get back up again and run into His arms. About guest blogging, thank you so much for allowing us to get to know you. It was MY pleasure, for real...:) (May God continue to use you to teach the younger generation).

@Femme Lounge...so many chances...uncountable even. Thanks.

@Eyitemi...wow @ the other scenario. Wow. I like that. I guess the point is that no matter how dirty we are when we run to God, He has the ability to wash us.

@JustJoxy...God taught me the hard way that no matter what state I'm in, I can still come to Him. There was a time when I kept asking God for forgiveness for the same thing every single day, after a while I thought I couldn't change and God wouldn't forgive. But that was a lie...our Father is always there to wash us from our muddiness. Thank God that phase is over because I changed...:)

@Daylight..yes, it is very appropriate to say that God is interested in the muddy us.

@Lani...lol @ "I should have listened in Chemistry class."

@Harry...I feel as though you've just written what I couldn't express well. Thank you so much. It is true that God cannot stand impurity, therefore anyone who will 'see' God has to come in purity. And that purity can only come through the cleansing by the blood of the Word. Now, to say I "heart" your comment would be an understatement. You've just enlightened us more on the topic.

Rebirth said...

Wow.....this really spoke to me. Thanks

Isabella said...

This was a blessing. I love this especially your style of writing. Your gift is to be cherished. You encourage me :)

Michael said...

Today's celebrities are those who have once been muddy but are now washed clean. They are called the "pure in heart."

This is so good! I also love how you stated that just because you are pure in heart, didn't mean that you always were! Believe me, I can vouch for that!

@pastorMichaelP

Kafo said...

the simplicity of the story got mii
i love it

blessed are the pure in heart

Formerly stealth reader said...

i feel like this beatitude(pure in heart) sums up a lot of characteristics we ought posess as xtians, especially
Loving everyone as Jesus loves us (neighbors, enemies) etc
i feel when we learn to love unconditionally(like Jesus loved), a pure heart comes naturally, for then all our motives are pure, intentions are pure......everything we do/ our actions is like a product of our love........its like everything is new, pure, good.
hmmm love is a powerful thing
O Lord teach us to love like you do. have a lovely day Jaycee

Jennifer A. said...

@Funms...*hugs* glad it did. Did the same for me.

@Miss FlyHigh...*sigh*...I'm really happy abt that.

@pMichael...one of the things I like about you is your brutal honesty when it comes to identifying your flaws. Thanks for being open.

@Kafo...I'm loving simplicity by the 2nd...

@Formerly Stealth Reader...pleaseeeeee God, we want to learn how to love and how to be pure even in a world of MUD & impurities. I join in this prayer. In Jesus' Name. Amen. Thanks FSR.

Anonymous said...

I am in the distilling process i think and i look forward to being past the point of remembering the times i fell head on into mud and i am free. Everyday i feel a step closer to being cleaner and i'm blessed that he loves me fully - the parts that are muddy and the parts that He's wiped clean. Praise be to God for his mercy and grace...

Jennifer A. said...

@Lil Miss Thang...it may not be wiped off your memory 100%, but I know for sure that even if you do remember, it wouldn't mean anything to you. Can't wait to share in the happiness of that transformation, when it comes.

Myne said...

This has been one of my toughest beatitudes because it is so tough to keep our hearts pure in this world. But thank God for Hos love that saved us through Jesus Christ and continues to wash us clean.

Thanks for sharing Jaycee, I'm more motivated for reading.

Jennifer A. said...

@Myne...yes, His blood "continues" to accomplish the purpose for which it was shed. No one can tell me that His blood will ever stop flowing. Thanks Myne.

Straight from the heart said...

I love the story line.
So simple but profound.
He brought us out from the dirty, muddy clay and washed us clean then presented us to the world on a pedestal!

Well written Jaycee

Pearl said...

I have always wanted to know more about what Jesus meant by the pure in heart and you have explained it so well.
Thanks Jaycee.

NakedSha said...

This is beautiful! thanks o, i'll keep following

Chizzy D said...

love the part on what it means to be pure.

Jennifer A. said...

@Debbie...thanks, your comment reads like poetry :)

@Shona...I'm glad you got some break-down from this post. I feel there's even so much more to learn from God about the "pure in heart." There's always something more...something waiting to be unveiled. Thanks Shona...

@Nakedsha...:) :) :)

@GoHard...that's cool! How have you been?

Unknown said...

Me love! Its not about whether are covered with muds but how He sees us. Thank God for our father in Heaven. Thanks Jay.

- LDP

Anonymous said...

Halleluyah! am washed over,over,over,over,over,over....... again!Because i get MUDDY many times in a day!

Jennifer A. said...

@LDP...yes it's about how He sees us ultimately...

@Nitty-Gritty...feels good to know, right?