Skip to main content

Spreading a Beautiful Aroma



It has been said that a scent can instantly bring up a memory or past experience. We often associate cherished things in our lives through smell. As a child, my mother did not cook much.  My father loved to eat out, my mother did not like to cook, so the winning dinnertime solution was to eat out...every night!  I can still remember living in a neighborhood and smelling the delicious scent of dinner cooking penetrating into the street.  To me, there was nothing so enticing.  

Fast forward over 40 years later....although we live in the country, often I go for runs in town where the routes take me through neighborhoods.  It is now Christmas season, so my favorite neighborhood has lights in the yard, bows on the mailboxes and beautiful yard decorations all through it.  Running through one day, enjoying the seasonal sights a delicious scent wafted out from one of the homes.  It had to be a cake baking and from the scent, it would be wonderful!  It instantly transported me to my childhood and the joy of the delightful smell of baking. But, the difference now is, I can attempt to imitate and make my own aroma!  As I ran past, still inhaling the scent, thinking of what kind of cake I could bake for my family, another aroma hit me.  This time it wasn't so pleasant, but was an awful smell coming from the trash cans out by the road.

It reminded me of the powerful verse reminding Christians that we are to be the aroma of Christ.   "For we are to God the fragrance of Christ among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing. To the one we are the aroma of death leading to death, and to the other the aroma of life leading to life."   As Christians, we represent Christ and can have an inviting, warm, welcoming aroma or a pungent, harsh abrasive aroma.  One draws others, one repels others.

This is a perfect time to ponder this verse as many of us in the last few days before Christmas will face people while our minds and hands are extremely busy. Crowded stores, unhappy, impatient shoppers, frustration, time strapped people will be all around us.  As we strive to celebrate the true meaning of the season, may we project a pleasant aroma that leads to life!

One of my Christmas devotions shared this quote which I loved:
"May your family be known for the Gospel it shares and the love it shows.  Wouldn't it be wonderful to be famous for the Gospel and famous for love? When Christmas guests walk into your home, may they say, 'This is a home that loves."
May we fill our hearts with worship and extend a beautiful aroma all around us!
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Thank you for sharing your commment. It is a joy and blessing to hear from you and your words are appreciated.

Popular posts from this blog

Top 10 Workout DVDs

Prevention Magazine is a leader in health and fitness news and products. They recently came up with the top 10 list of workout DVDs. They have examined the many fitness DVDs out there and narrowed down a list of the best ones. There is a DVD for every fitness level. If you are looking to incorporate some exercise into your day in the convenience of your own home, take a look at this list. Here is an additional money saving tip:  If you see a DVD that you are interested in, check out Amazon or Ebay before ordering.  Many times they have pre-owned DVDs at a fraction of the cost of a new one.
1 comment
Read more

Sometimes We Score, Sometimes We Block

Our family is in the midst of little league soccer season. My youngest son is playing and his enthusiasm is contagious. He is pretty good at the sport, but what makes it so great is that he loves it! He counts the days until the next game or practice. He loves his coach and teammates. He has moved up an age level this year and the players are working more like team, passing to each other and watching out for each other during play. During the last game, my son scored two goals, they were the only goals of the game. In today's game the team scored eight goals. My son came up afterwards to me and said, "I didn't score today, but I blocked". What a powerful truth those words can hold. In life, sometimes we score, sometimes we block. Sometimes we do great things, we excel, we achieve, we meet our goal - we score! There are also times we see the needs of others, sometimes they are sad or hurting, we block their hits. We look out for them so they can score. We...
17 comments
Read more

Word Filled Wednesday – Act Justly

He has shown you, O man, what is good;       And what does the LORD require of you                But to do justly, To love mercy,       And to walk humbly with your God?    Micah 6:8 Sometimes we struggle so hard with the question “What does God want us to do and be?”  This verse is a simple yet powerful reminder of some simple things that God requires of us.  Act and do justly, love mercy and walk humbly before God.  There are numerous opportunities each day to do justly, to do the right thing or to make the right choice.  We love mercy when we show kindness or mercy oftentimes to those who do not deserve it.  Walking humbly before God is acknowledging He alone is God.  He is the I AM – no one else is.  When we give Him the glory He is worthy of, it will humble our heart before Him....
13 comments
Read more