OOH OOH that smell!!

Smells have an interesting effect on us. Some of these spark memories of mom's wonderful Thanksgiving meals, or loving thoughts of warm chocolate chip cookies placed in front of us. They can take us back into our childhood and remind us of special people. 

At times a negative response can also be experienced. Recently in California a putrid odor stretched over 150 miles from the Salton Sea all the way to Los Angeles. It reminded people of rotten eggs and was later discovered to be the result of decaying fish. 

Yesterday at school I walked into the lunch room to say hello to some of my students and as I knelt down to talk with one of the kindergartners I was overtaken with "the smell", instantly knowing it was the terrible odor of skunk spray. In 2009 our dog Spunky was sprayed and then proceeded to share that lovely fragrance with all of us inside our home. You can read about it here.

Today I am reminded that we have a choice as Christians to be a good smell or a bad smell.  To entice people to want to know more about Jesus or to be repelled by us. How will you be remembered?

But thanks be to God, who always leads us as captives in Christ’s triumphal procession and uses us to spread the aroma of the knowledge of him everywhere. For we are to God the pleasing aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing. To the one we are an aroma that brings death; to the other, an aroma that brings life. 2 Corinthians 2:14-16

Our dog got skunked!

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Spunky our energetic Chow and Australian shepherd mix was sprayed by a skunk last night.

Now before you feel too bad for her know that this has happened before.

The first time,we were unaware of her adventure with a skunk and she came running into the house trying to find some relief from the horrible smell and taste of skunk. As we watched the skunk vapor rise from our walkout basement to the main floor of our home we knew that this was going to be trouble. All Spunky knew was that she needed to rub herself on anything that she could. Furniture, carpet, beds and me. Everything and everyone smelled of this skunk. Even the closets that were undisturbed reeked of skunk for months. We did the typical wash the dog activity and even found a recipe of liquid soap, baking soda and hydrogen peroxide that gave her and us some relief. After this episode we thought that she would leave the little black and white creature alone.

That's what we thought until last night!

At 9:45pm we smelled that defining fragrance and looked out into the backyard to find Spunky rolling in the grass trying desperately to rid herself of Skunk. We having learned from the last time, did not let her in the house and completed the washing cycle outside.

Why didn't she remember the last time? Or did she remember and choose to go after it anyway? Did she know what the consequences could be and take a gamble?

I can be so similar to this. I know what can happen if I give in to a bad habit or sin. Over and over again I repeat the same thing. I don't always think through my actions before I do them or learn from my mistakes. I often have to live with the Skunk smell of my actions.

How about you? Have you been skunked recently? Have your choices resulted in some difficult consequences?

Praise God that he is able to set us free from ourselves!

God's word says that Christ would make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless. Ephesians 5:26-27

All we need to do is to draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water. Hebrews 10:22

Father,

Cleanse me from my sin and I shall be clean. Purify me from all of my skunky smells and wash me. Cause me to remember the consequences of my actions so that I don't repeat them. Thank you for loving and forgiving this often forgetful child.

Jann