Isn't it incredible how a smell can take us back to another place in an instant? My grandmother had a very specific brand of face powder. Cody loose powder. I honestly don't even know if they sell that anymore, but sometimes I will get a whiff of it in the drug store and I can close my eyes and literally see her dressing table, with the pink ruffle, the dark wood, the 3 mirrors, and a plethera of parfume bottles all over the top of it.
If you were a smell, what would you be? If your words, your actions, your thoughts were smells, what would they smell like? I know that all too often lately, my thoughts have been in the range of skunk to day old garbage in the hot sun. If I could just... fill in the blank, could it be... have more quiet time? Spend more money on things I need? Lose more weight? Make more money? Have a better husband? Have nicer kids? Balance my checkbook?
If I could just turn everything over to my Father, really rely on Him, really pour out my heart to Him, what would I smell like then? I want to smell like a rose, gentle, sweet, and beautiful. What would it take really, for me to commit to that? Jesus, Help me.
Think of the bucket philosophy. Throughout my summer, I was blessed to be able to spend one month with some incredibly talented teachers. We were taught about the bucket. Are you filling the bucket of other people? Are you emptying the bucket?
As I walk up to the counter of an overworked and underpaid store clerk, am I fussing at her because her store doesn't carry what I am demanding, or am I calling the manager over, asking him about the product as well as complimenting his employee on her excellent customer service. Now, are we talking about giving a bunch of lip service to people who don't deserve it? Not a chance, but what I am talking about is focusing on what people are doing well, so they will feel good about doing more of it, and then be better prepared to deal with the negatives.
Recall your interactions throughout the day, did you add to or take away from the value in the people's bucket that you saw?
Make a renewed commitment to fill the buckets of those around you and in turn, fill the Heavens with a sweet fragrance... smell like Jesus!
Much love.
