the day i met Him..

           dirty rags

i remember the day i met Him

   i stood in rags, dirty, alone, and unloved

He stopped and looked at me

   not past me, as most did

but at me, staring deeply into my eyes.

i felt shame run through me

   i was so dirty, so ugly, so unworthy

His beauty only magnifying my filth

   instead of turning from me in disgust , He smiled

He looked into my eyes, and He reached to touch me

i pulled away, unwilling to allow His goodness to be touched

   by the ugliness that was my life

He spoke to me, "remove your garment"

   i felt horror to expose myself to Him

but the love in His eyes compelled me to obey

as i stood naked before Him i was torn... what was worse?

   facing Him in filthy rags, or now letting Him see the condition of my very body

i was covered with sores, scars, and twisted flesh

   so covered with the effects of my life.

He picked up my garment and held it close to Him

   as He inhaled the stench of my life ...      He wept

He seemed to be broken in heart by my condition

   as He wept, His body heaved with sadness, until great drops of Blood mixed with His tears

"I will wash your garment", He said and He looked at me.

   i thought, how will it be clean? Especially with the Blood mixing with my filth?

it could only be dirtier when He was done.

   but He continued turning the garment in His hands

and i saw Blood flowing from His palms.

He drew the garment down His chest, close to His heart ... and Blood flowed from His side

   He finally laid my garment down and stood upon it

Blood flowing even from His feet!

  i watched in awe as the red Blood mixed with the dark filth

and my garment appeared cleaner and cleaner and cleaner.

as His huge sobs turned to soft weeping, i stared

   as He finally looked at me again with a smile

and held out to me my garment, now spotless

   white and glowing with newness and beauty

 

"put it on My daughter", He said

   i pulled away quickly

"never my Lord, i can never put something now so clean, so beautiful, on this

   broken and infected body"

He smiled and gently put it on me and watched and waited…

   to my amazement as the Blood washed garment touched my flesh

i could see the scars, the disease, the abscesses melt into new fresh healthy skin

   i stood whole, sweet, innocent and beautiful before Him

i fell at His feet and worshipped Him, my promises to Him flowing

   from a heart of thankfulness

"i will stand in beauty and wholeness forever

   in my garment that You made clean"

T.J. James