The smell of ...

It is said that the sense of smell is linked to memory more than sight! A few days ago, as I was driving to work, I was hit with one of those aromas that takes you back in time. It was a beautiful day -- the new leaves were all glistening with that early-spring freshness and then I smelled it ... the unmistakable odor of manure! Immediately I was taken back to childhood afternoons, getting off of the school bus with head down in shame, embarrassed that my house smelled bad! You see, in the early spring my father would cover the small garden with manure ... and the garden just happened to be located exactly where our bus stopped. I almost -- should have -- called my sisters to remind them of that "shameful" memory that we share -- it would've brought laughter. Curiously, today I don't find the scent of manure in the spring to be offensive. In fact, the earthly, natural, sweet pungency actually made me enjoy the day more. Maybe it's nostalgia for a simpler, and humorous time in my life, but I think it also has to do with a better understanding of what that smell represents. I know that the manure is going to make fruits, vegetables, shrubs, flowers and trees grow healthy and beautiful (and tasty). I wonder if the manure is a life-lesson. We know that the Lord "douses us with manure" at times. It's not that he wants us to smell bad or bring us pain -- He just wants us to bear fruit. Proverbs 3:11-12 tells us that "the Lord disciplines those He loves, as a father the son He delights in." So, the next time you feel like you are having a "crappy" day ... maybe consider it that Jesus is just applying some "Miracle Grow" in your life. Who knows? You might just find you start appreciating that smell! Pastor Chris