By Julie Lavender
I’ve taken a different path during my morning walks with God
recently. The bigger road that leads to our neighborhood is less-traveled with
many working from home, so I often walk that road now, as it eventually leads
to a cow pasture. With social distancing, it seems that I’ve taken to chatting
with the bovines.
Just before the creek that runs under the road, a huge patch
of honeysuckle lines the edge. Long before I get near the bushes, I get a whiff
of sweetness. A delicious smell of nectar that pleases the senses and makes me
smile.
The scent conjures memories of childhood, playing with
siblings in the back yard near the fence row. We’d pluck the flower from the
vine, breathe in the scent, snip off the tip of the flower base with our (usually)
dirty fingernails, and gently pull a thin pistil through the snipped end.
My husband and I taught our kids the same trick when they
were little, and I’m sure they’ll teach their own little ones someday. Passing
the sweetness to the next generation.
The smell of honeysuckle hovers in the air this time of year
here in the south, and even a gentle breeze releases the aroma so thick that
you’d think you could reach out and grab it.
Second Corinthians 2:15 says, “For we are to God the
pleasing aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are
perishing.” Paul knew his words would conjure images of burning incense
offerings, an “aroma pleasing to the Lord” as mentioned in Genesis 8:20-21, Leviticus
23:18, and Numbers 28:27. He also knew that his audience would be reminded of
military parades of that day, where the victors marched with strands of flowers
and burned incense to the gods. The defeated prisoners were often executed at
the end of the ceremonial parade.
The aromatic scents wafting along the parade route were
sweet to the winners, but carried the threat of perishing for the losers. Great
celebration for one group; impending death for the other.
Are you in the victory
group?
Have you accepted Jesus as Lord and Savior?
That’s the only way to win the
game of life here on Earth.
Don’t choose the side that leads to perishing.
Choose life. Choose Jesus.
As a believer, I am reminded by the sweet scent of
honeysuckle on my walk to be the aroma of Christ for those around me. Before
me, after me, beside me. The aroma of Christ to anyone I come in contact with,
and maybe in ways for those I’ll never actually meet in person. Oh, that I
would be a pleasing aroma to God!
What about you? Have you been reminded of a Bible story or verse while out on a walk this week?
I love honeysuckle. Thank you for reminding me of precious childhood memories. God is so good. He gives us many ways to enjoy His creations.
ReplyDeleteIt is such a sweet childhood memory for me, and this new path I'm walking has so many vines alongside the road. Such a pleasing aroma as I walk and pray! It sweetens my prayers tremendously and reminds me to thank Him for those creations for sure!
DeleteIt seems that every time I go outside, and sometimes just sitting in my home, God sends a reminder of His presence. I love the smell of honeysuckle and jasmine, and all of God's creations. They remind me I am alive and I have His promise of eternal life. I'm always amazed at how Christians can fear death of their bodies, We live eternal; for us, death is no more. And I don't fear missing anything here in this earth.
ReplyDeleteGreat reminders, J.D. And interestingly, I keep hearing that one of the symptoms of this virus is a loss of the sense of smell early in the illness. And, though I'm sheltering and have no reason to think I'm sick, each time I get a whiff of that honeysuckle, it reminds me that I'm healthy, and it reminds me to pray for those many in this world that are suffering in any way due to the virus. Blessings, and thanks for commenting!
ReplyDeleteI, too, have always felt closest to God in nature. The thing I enjoy best are the clouds. They keep changing & I think of Gods breath blowing them into the coolest whimsical shapes. And sometimes He creates the dark clouds the bring on a glorious display of His power through lightning & thunder. My dad said thunder is when the angels are bowling. :>) Many memories & pleasure are found in the clouds for me.
ReplyDeleteI love cloud-watching, too! I especially love the color of the blue sky this time of year, with white puffy clouds sprinkled all across the sky! I saw an interesting news report of some phenomenal-looking clouds in the mid-west, I believe, just over the weekend. I think it brought some rain, but not bad weather, but they were really unusual-looking!! Thanks for commenting, and yes, I too feel really close to God when I'm out in nature. His creations are so marvelous!! (I love the thought of God blowing the clouds into whimsical shapes!!)
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