The Anointing of The First Love

Can you imagine doing something wrong that, if the community ever found out, they would have no tolerance for?

In Idlewild City, sin was accepted, but it depended on who you were. If you were not one of them, they would kick you to the curb. You had better get out of their path before they came for you around the bend.

Too stubborn they were, to realise the stones they wanted to throw, were also the oars in their own boats. Still, they went out sailing across the oceans, and traversing the seas, looking for what they could rob before leaving you with their dis-ease.

Alas, one day you awoke to smoke in your room. The soot made the room dark, and you could not find your way to escape. You coughed as the dry air burned your eyes. You tried to find a window, but there was no way out. Then you fainted. It was lights out. Thinking this was the end, you cried, "Jesus, have mercy," just before falling to the fiery floor.

Some moments had passed, and you awoke only to find that you were still alive. You wondered how. You looked at the house, and it was filled with smoke. Nothing was saved, despite the firefighters putting out the blazing fire. In the end, there was only one thing left to do, and that was to give your report.

You told the firefighters, "Thank you for saving me."

They looked at you in disbelief.

"Are you crazy, ma'am? When we got here, we found you lying on the concrete outside. Are you telling me you don't remember getting out of the building?"

Not bothering to give an explanation, you walked away, grateful simply to be alive.

The whole community heard what had happened, and they too were amazed. How had she escaped without a single injury? The only story you told them was, "Jesus saved me."

You found a church some months later, and that was where the story of your first love began.

You were met with kind eyes and warm hugs. People did not look at you as though you were different, though at first you thought they were rather strange. Still, after some time, you warmed to their generosity, and then you realised that you were changing. You enjoyed Bible studies. You enjoyed the fellowship of this community. You felt loved and accepted.

Yet there was still something left for you to do, and that was to stand and tell your story.

You fell in love with a Man when you heard His plan to redeem you from a sinful history.

You then found your voice to sing, your feet to dance, and your hands to clap. You saw others and went to them to have a chat. You prayed for God to heal your friends, and you found it necessary to forgive those who had brought you to the trench.

Suddenly, you found the strength to live with conviction, the boldness to speak, and the gentleness to wait. After all, you now realised that you were in the company of saints whom the Lord had also saved.