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The Other Half The Other Half
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Something rather strange happened last week. I was given a beautiful bouquet of roses, small lilies and greenery – no that’s not the strange bit – and I left them in the kitchen in a deep vase until I had time to arrange them. As I walked past them later I was overwhelmed by their beautiful fragrance and I really was quite taken aback by it’s strength. I realised that I hadn’t tried to smell them when they were given to me and that these days we tend to admire the visual beauty of bought flowers without expecting any aroma. This is in sharp contrast to my childhood when I remember that any gift of flowers meant a deep inhaling of their scent. – at the same time, closing my eyes which seemed to enhance it! Obviously flowers are cultivated under very strict controls these days – polythene tunnels and controlled environments producing perfect blooms, all the same height, shape and hardiness. Flowers are bred for their image – a visual perfection – but, in many cases, part of their essence has gone. I expect it was too hard to control appearance and aroma and one was lost in the desire for uniformity. Is that happening to Christians as well? Do we consider that living our lives with the outward appearance of Christians is enough? Do we melt into the church crowd because we react, think and speak exactly like those around us? Have we conformed so much to the secular world that those we meet do not know that we love the Lord? In 2 Cor 2:14, 15 we read – “But thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumphal procession in Christ and through us spreads everywhere the fragrance of the knowledge of Him. For we are to God the aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing.” Have we lost the aroma – that essence of Jesus? So, the strange thing was that I found myself standing in the kitchen with my nose buried in a bunch of flowers with my eyes shut and my heart crying out to my Father to let me be a fragrance for Him. I was thanking Him for the beauty of His creation and at the same time apologising for the way we all try to improve on it by controlling, and interfering with nature. And then I found that I was thanking Jesus for His gift of salvation and apologising for taking it for granted and not spreading the Good News. That reminds me – I noticed my flowers needed more water today and I forgot to give them some. I must do that now. Which reminds me, Lord – I will need constant topping up by the Holy Spirit. I know you won’t forget but please help me to remember as well! © Sue Whitehead
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