ODOURS AROMA FRAGRANCE SMELLS

It was a glorious, warm San Francisco day, a heat wave ar 27oC. according to our hosts, Alex and Nadya. Rather pleasant to us as we drove across the bridge above San Francisco Bay. We were off to Muir Woods, home of the mighty, majestic true to colour Redwood trees.

The winding road first led through groves of eucalyptus trees.

‘Wind down the window and smell the trees’, encouraged Nadya. I did, and oh, the pungent aroma of the eucalypts, far stronger than anything I experienced in Australia. The perfume of the leaves reminded me of my childhood days when the standard, and successful treatment for coughs, colds and ’flu was a teaspoon of sugar and 2- 3 drops of eucalyptus oil. I could almost taste it as the odour drifted into the car, and we each inhaled the perfume.

Then Nadya told of the day when a skunk invaded their back garden as her children played. Unsuspecting the habit of the skunk, the children scrambled closer to this unusual animal. Suddenly the skunk squirted the children with his horrendous fluid. Oh, that terrible odour. Their clothes were saturated so that Nadya quickly stripped each child and washed the clothes four times. Still the smell remained until finally she threw them in with the garbage.

Later in our travels we drove over a dead skunk. Even with the car windows closed and the air conditioner running, it was 20 kms. before we were rid of that repulsive smell.

At the Duty Free shop at Los Angeles airport I saw perfume costing $100. A high price to pay for fragrance.

There is an odour, however much sweeter, bought at a high price. The christian bears a unique perfume. Paul wrote that we are a sweet savour or perfume, of the Lord when we allow Him to live out His life through us. To some it is a fragrance of life when they receive Christ because of our testimony. To others it is the stench of death if they reject Him.

We ate at a steak house in Sioux city with our daughter, Ruth, Mac and grandson, Ian. At the end of the meal the waitress with typical American frankness said, ‘You guys are Christians, aren’t you?

‘How did you know,?’ I enquired.

‘I just know. I can tell’, she smiled. We had said or done little, except to be cheerful and thankful for her waiting on us, and bowing our heads in thanks to God for the meal. But there is an unmistakable spiritual odour when our lives are hid with Christ in God. His life flows out and the perfume comes from the ONE we love and serve.

Later we stayed in the home of a young couple; he is a busy engineer, his wife caring for 6 toddlers in the home whilst their mothers worked. They were busy, and we were often away for the day. Yet as our young host farewelled us he said, ‘I have grown in my Christian life this week because you have been with us.‘ What a surprise, yet is should not have surprised us.

It was no glory to us, for we are sinners brought back to God by His grace. Yet every moment of the day a christian emits either a spiritual perfume or an unpleasant smell. The secret of the perfume is ‘Christ in you, the hope of glory.’

Of course, the price of that perfume was high, It cost the Lord Jesus Christ His life, as He carried our sins in His own body on the cross. He died - but rose again, and through the Holy Spirit we are to be as a sweet savour or perfume of the life of Christ.