Fragrance

Ahhh ... don't we just love fragrances? I couldn't help but think of them today - I've been cooped up in the house with 4 boys - my 2 sons, my husband and Huck, our cat for days, due to the weather. If any of you have ever lived in a house with 4 males you know that it can sometimes stink. I have some delightful home freshener (canned fragrance) that saved me from some of the stench temporarily. I have glade plug-ins, Air Wick plug-ins, Lysol, scented freshener, matches, etc. to mask any unwanted foul smell. While pondering upon all my smell-ums (that's what my sweet momma calls them) I thought - what "fragrances" do I use to mask my stinky behavior issues? Hmmm ... here's a short list
1. When I fuss at my husband I use the fragrance "being hormonal"
2. When I stay up too late and wake up grumpy, I use eau de "waking up on the wrong side of the bed"
3. When I ignore God, my most recent fav fragrance is "I'm so busy with grad. school"
4. When I lose my patience with my kids I especially love to cry while squirting the not so divine scent of "I just have so much on me."
The list could go on and on, but I think I need to get to the point.

So what kind of fragrance or smell am I to God? Here's the hope I found in His word. "But thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumphal procession in Christ and through us spreads everywhere the fragrance of the knowledge of Him. For we are to God the aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing. To the one we are the smell of death; to the other, the fragrance of life." 2 Corinthians 2:14, 15 I also found scriptures in the book of Revelation about the prayers of the saints being incense before God Almighty!

So, here's what I think. I get into a sin, I try to spray MY fragrance on it to make it go away. The smell just keeps coming back so what's a girl to do? According to the scriptures, if I pray and realize that Jesus is the only fragrance I need, I'm guessing the stench will subside.