Tuesday, October 09, 2007

The sweet aroma of.......life

This morning as I climbed out of my bed noticing that my eye was glued shut.......ugh, yes, looks like I've got pink eye.....I made my way to the kitchen to begin my morning coffee routine. While attempting to get there, I stumbled over a stroller, baby doll, box of something and a few pairs of shoes. And trust me when I say this, My hallway isn't THAT long!! =) Somedays it seems that no matter how much I clean, make people clean or try to stay clean.....something is always a mess.

But as I poured my coffee I thanked the Lord for the smell of coffee......it's just priceless! Then I started to think about how life just smells in general....(I know I have a very RANDOM mind!). Sometimes life smells oh so sweet....like you just have bounce in your step, everything is going great, you know people love AND appreciate you, life just smells like fresh peaches (MY favorite smell)......and then other days you take a whiff and it smells pretty rotten.....kinda like Kennyboo's diaper after she's eaten grapes! (I know.....that was gross!) Seems like those are also the days when everything seems to be a big mess...you just can't get focused on anything, everything is just....smelly. No matter how much Febreeze you spray or candles you light, it still just STINKS.

But as I came across this verse this morning, 2 Corinthians 2:15, "For we are to God the aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing." What do I smell like to God?.......Does God's eyes look up when I enter His courts as a sweet smell, something delightful......or does he cover his noise and smile politely when I enter? The way I would smell sweet is if Christ is being released from me continually.......I would smell like fresh coffee in the morning and sweet peaches in the afternoon, if I truly was walking along beside him all day long.

The truth is though, we often start our day off smelling like fresh coffee but by bedtime.........we are smelly diapers.....there's just no sweet aroma of Christ left! So my friends, the question is........How do we keep the sweet smell of Jesus ALL day in our lives? I think it can only come firstly on effort....just like we have to make an effort to smell good by keeping good hygiene...having to continually "check our smells". We also have to make an effort to check ourselves throughout the day. "Am I displaying Christ in everything I do?" "Am I holding a grudge as I clean up this mess for the hundredth time THIS WEEK?" "Do I love my neighbors even though they don't love me?" =) "Am I praying all throughout the day, soaking up the sweet smell of God's presence?" "Am I sharing Christ with those around me?"

So when life starts to smell stinky.....we need to look closely at where the smell is coming from!

"When life starts to smell......ask yourself where you dwell."

Off to take a shower! =)
Have a blessed day!!

5 comments:

Renee said...

Hope you feel (or see) better soon!

Sharon Brumfield said...

So wanting to be a sweet smell before the Lord.
Looking at the path I am on so as not to wander off into a garbage dump.
Question-Did I give th impression in my last post in some way that it happened in my church?
I now have to explain.

Lisa said...

Oh Nikki.....you have spoken right to me this morning. For the last 2 days "MY LIFE STINKS" and the bad thing about it is I KNOW WHERE THE SMELL IS COMING FROM. There is just some unforgiveness in my heart that I can't seem to get past and I am making everyones life around me MISERABLE.

Continue praying for me,
Lisa

ThreeGirlyGirls said...

Oh lisa, I will definately be praying for you!! Be strong! You are a winner!!

Sharon Brumfield said...

Nicki that was great--I want to be the extra degree.
Imagine if as the body of Christ we were each responsible for a degree. When the right amount of the body of Christ get together--we will blow them away with the power of God.