Sweet Aroma

I'm on a journey. I think I'm only a few steps along, although I've been on this one for a few days now. Lord, as I write, I pray that You will infuse my words with Your truth, for without it they are empty and meaningless.

The Lord has challenged me to examine my senses. Yes...my senses. I was a little puzzled, yet intrigued by this admonition, but I've followed Him on the journey.

I am created in His image. I am intricately knit together, and I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Into this quilt of God-mirroring qualities is woven the opportunity to see, hear, taste, feel and smell. As I've grown in acknowledging Him throughout my everyday, I have had innumerable opportunities to taste and see that he is SOOO good! I've seen Him in nature, heard Him in laughter, felt Him in tears, tasted Him in joy and...well, what about smelling? What of the sense of smell; what of fragrance does he want me to understand that is new?

Oftentimes, our praise is described as something which offers up a sweet aroma to God, as the sacrificial burnt offerings which pleased His nostrils. God has created me to be a worshiper: I sing to Him all day long; I spend hours worshiping at my piano; I write praise and worship music. It delights me to know that my offerings to Him as I worship my King please Him...they create an aroma that delights Him!

But the Lord wanted to show me more. He brought me this afternoon to 2 Corinthians 2: 14-16. And He showed me something new: As a believer and lover of my Lord, I emit a fragrance. And this fragrance is perceptable to those around me. But, it is experienced differently by different people. To the believer of Christ, the beautiful fragrance of Christ in me is perceived as "life leading to life" (v.16b) This is so lovely! The aroma of my life can inspire those believers around me to seek after life more abundant in Him! Praise Him, that is incredible!

But that fragrance, the aroma of my life in Christ, is perceived differently by those who know Him not, for to the perishing it is experienced as "death leading to death" (v.16a) It is convicting, and distasteful, because it reminds them of the judgement to come. And so, what do I do around those who don't know Him? Do I mask the perfume of Christ, so as not to offend? Absolutely not! I continue to live, emitting His scent as I delight in Him, acknowledge Him in all my ways, share His truth unashamed, and, without embarassment, share what He has done in me and continues to do in me. And I pray, Lord may the fragrance of You in me be beautiful to You...and may it inspire...may it invite and entice others to Your feet.

And my journey continues. In 2 Cor. 2:14, I see that He, through me, "diffuses the fragrance of His knowledge in every place". Oh! May that be so, precious Lord! May the aroma of the knowledge of You be pungent everywhere that I go! And further, I see that I am, to God, the fragrance of Christ!! The fragrance of Christ...this stopped me in my tracks momentarily. How incredible is that?? Lord, may I be a sweet, sweet aroma to You...it's incredible to me that anything about this imperfect, wretched being could delight you with my scent. But it is Christ in me that makes the fragrant perfume! Thank you, my sweet Lord!

And I love this one! I sit here smiling at the simple beauty of what He next showed me. He took me to John, to the story we all know of Mary, anointing Jesus' feet and wiping them with her hair. And this is what He showed me: Mary was unashamed, extravagant, and completely transparent in her outpouring of adoration on her King. She gave all that she could, "and the house was filled with the fragrance of the oil". Filled! As she poured out herself, with complete abandon, the beauty, the pungence of the fragrance not only delighted the senses of the Christ, but spread to where it was perceptable to all in the house! The importance of the scent was, then, twofold: it pleased the Lord, and gave opportunity to inspire others to pour out their own hearts in abandoned worship. I love it! Lord, may I approach your feet with such extravagance that I fill Your nostrils with the exquisite aroma of my pure adoration, and may that scent draw others to Your feet! And since, to us, oil is symbolic of the Holy Spirit, I see this too: As I adore, as I pour out myself without shame, the Holy Spirit moves through the place.

Oh dear Lord, You delight me with Your fresh and heavy scent. May I delight You with the aroma of my praise. May all that I do diffuse the knowlege of You in every place. May the fragrance of Christ inspire those who know You to life abundant in You, and draw those who don't know You to Life and not death. May I always walk in love, my life an offering to you, and may the fruit of my lips please You with its exquisite scent. You are beautiful...breathe me in, and breathe on me, breath of God.