Spreading the Fragrance
“But thanks be to God who always leads us into triumphal procession in Christ and through us spreads everywhere the fragrance of the knowledge of him."
2 Corinthians 2:14 (NIV)
On Thanksgiving Day, I counted 26 supplements to our newspaper ushering in the consumer event of the year—Christmas shopping. Some stores even opened at midnight to allow for greater shopping opportunities. People stood in long lines to purchase the door busters and “must-have” gifts at bargain prices. In the next month, we will run in different directions trying to fit everything in and make Christmas perfect for our family, only to be faced with the stark reality that we can’t fit everything in, and the perfect Christmas is seen only on the Hallmark commercial.
The other day I was visiting a friend and her house had a beautiful fragrance of orange pot-pourri. As the aroma just lingered in the air, I saw a parallel: Christmas is a blend of fragrances. What is it that we want to blend in our Christmas pot-pourri this year?” What fragrance do you want to spread this Christmas and have it linger?
I’d like to suggest that we begin with perspective and as we plan our calendar and activities, ask ourselves, “Why am I doing what I’m doing? What is my purpose in the activities and celebrations that I’m participating in? Do I do certain things because I enjoy them or out of someone’s expectations or demands?” I remember when planning my oldest daughter’s wedding one of the suggestions was to put things in perspective. So what, the writer said, if the shade of the ribbon isn’t exactly what you envisioned? Five years from now, will it matter? That’s a perfect question to ask at Christmas. What really matters? How much is excessive? How much is enough? Just because I have the means to purchase certain gifts, should I spend that particular amount of money? And, if I don’t have the means, is worth it to go into debt and have credit card bills due in January? Is it worth it to stand in a line for 45 minutes to purchase a gift that may be re-gifted or used very little? I encourage you to think about putting perspective in your fragrant pot-pourri.
I think we could also blend in adjustment. What adjustments can I make this Christmas to simplify, lessen stress, and increase joy? What can I cut back on so that I am not stressed? Is it because I am trying to do it all? Evaluate your stress: Am I stressed trying to please certain people or an irregular person who will never be happy no matter how hard I try? Am I stressed trying to be perfect? Am I stressed trying to find outfits so that my children look like they are in magazine ads? In trying to make everything perfect, whose standard is the perfect Christmas? Can we adjust and put simplicity back into Christmas? With simplicity comes contentment and with contentment, comes joy. I walked into a store in the Strip District in Pittsburgh with my niece and the words out of our mouths were, “This smells like Great-Grandma’s kitchen.” It took us back to a memory that evoked love, joy, and family to us. By adding adjustment to our pot-pourri, we can have a fragrance that will bring back pleasant memories because we have spent beautiful simple moments instead of hectic ones.
In addition to perspective and adjustment, I hope that we will blend in meaning and significance. Are we experiencing the meaning of Christmas? Are we catalysts in our families to help them experience the meaning of Christmas? We have so many voices shouting at us during the holiday season. There are romantic movies, shopping til we drop, over indulgence, pleasing people, and obligatory gift and card exchanges, but does our Christmas include loving and serving others or are we preoccupied with ourselves and meeting expectations?
On our first Christmas in Pennsylvania, we invited an older student to dinner. She was staying in the area to house-sit. Truthfully, I was depressed –I missed my family and I missed our friends in VA where we had celebrated Christmas together for years. We shared our traditions with this young woman—we read the Christmas story, had our traditional dinner, and had our birthday cake for Jesus. Unknown to me, she had come from a dysfunctional family and when she left our home, she said it was the best Christmas she ever had. It was my worst and her best. I had failed to add perspective to my Christmas.
Does your Christmas include worshipping God? Worship isn’t just reserved for church on Christmas Eve, but a life style that sees God in everything—the people we interact with, the reasons we purchase, how much we purchase and why we do the things we do. Stormie O’Martian says “we become like what we worship.” What are we worshipping this season? Are we buying into all the hype that we forget whose birthday we are celebrating? We worship God when we treat people kindly—clerks in stores and customers in crowded aisles, or our reaction when someone takes a parking space we had our eye on. Last year we were purchasing some items at a department store at noon, just when the special was ending. I asked the clerk if it still qualified and she laughed and said, “Yes, but I accept treats—cookies and candy.” The timer didn’t go off until 12:30, so she gave me the special price, but in the course of our conversation, she shared with us that she wasn’t going to give her grandchildren any presents this year—they have failed year after year to send her thank you notes. So, when we were finished, my daughter Katie and I walked into the mall, bought chocolate pretzels and returned to her station. She gave me a hug and couldn’t believe what we had done.
Did you know that God wired us so that the minute we smell something it travels to the part of our brain that deals with emotions? He has also given us a built in memory marker with our sense of smell. That’s why, when my niece and I walked into a store, it reminded us of my grandmother’s kitchen and all the emotions that accompanied good family times. Fragrances affect us. If you are like my husband who walks into a candle shop, the fragrances can give you a headache!
What fragrances will you spread this Christmas? Will they soothe and invigorate you and others or give you and others a headache? Just as orange pot-pourri enhanced my friend’s home, could it be that blending the fragrances of perspective, adjustment, contentment, joy, meaning and significance, and worship will enhance your Christmas? What a great opportunity we have to spread the fragrance of Christ especially at this season. Can we have a Christmas that honors Him, and leave a fragrance that lingers?
The birth of Christ, commemorated at Christmas, is just the beginning of the story. We celebrate God coming to earth for a purpose and that purpose was to save us. We don’t have the qualities to enter heaven on our own, no matter how many good things we do or how many church traditions we keep. God didn’t send Jesus to give us great teaching or He could have sent a teacher. He healed people during His ministry, but that wasn’t His only purpose or God would have sent a physician. God sent Jesus –His sinless only son—as a baby in a manger –to eventually die on the cross for each one of us. Each one of us is sinful and needs a Savior and it is Jesus who fulfills that purpose for us by taking on our sins. As we admit our sinfulness and acknowledge His power to save us, we become His children and we have a personal relationship with Him. Accepting His sacrifice qualifies us to one day live with Him forever in heaven. If you have never made a personal commitment to Christ, and want to know more about accepting Him as your Savior, please-mail me. Your decision would make your Christmas a meaningful one and truly fragrant. You’ll never be the same again. Not only that, your fragrance will linger and influence others. © Marilyn Nutter, All rights reserved.
