Sweet-Smelling Fragrance

I love it whenever I get to live what I read from the Bible. This morning, I was moving right along through 2nd Corinthians. I read a passage that I hadn't remembered ever reading before. It was talking about how God uses His followers to "spread the knowledge of Christ everywhere, like a sweet perfume."

Paul keeps writing and says, "But this fragrance is perceived differently by those who are being saved and by those who are perishing. To those who are perishing, we are a dreadful smell of death and doom. But to those who are being saved, we are a life-giving perfume." (2nd Corinthians 2:15-16)

I completely identified with how some people smell a horrible odor when they realize some kind of outreach is going on. "Oh, it's those stinkin' Christians. Trying to invite me out to church. Why don't they invite someone who'll actually come?"

But then, I asked Jesus if it was possible for non-believers to take all this Jesus stuff for what it really is: a sweet-smelling perfume. He answered me this afternoon.

I was waiting on campus for the last international student to come so I could drive her to our ministry leader's house for an international potluck dinner. A few minutes passed by, and then I saw her running up to me, apologizing for being late. I assured her that it was totally fine and we walked to my car, got in and started driving there. We didn't really know each other well, but were talking about random things like majors and events of our day. Suddenly, during a short pause in the conversation, she said, "I feel really peaceful."

Just a few minutes before, she was rushing to be on time, shared that her day was busy, but now she suddenly felt peaceful. "I'm just sitting here... and talk to you... sit in your car and listen to music... and I just feel... peaceful." She kept explaining her feeling, looked out the window at the setting sun and the open field we were passing and shared how life back in her country was so stressful since she lived in a large city.

After talking with her for a few seconds more she also said, "Your voice... it's... it's... uhhh.... hard to describe... it's very.... PEACEFUL! I think God bless me."

I asked if she was a Christian. She said that she wasn't. I was able to explain God's presence to her and she was very receptive.

Once I realized that Jesus had answered my question from this morning, I had to write about it.

Thanks God, for making your children a sweet-smelling fragrance.