Long after a conversation with a much loved friend from Oregon, I’m left feeling recharged with his love and wisdom.  What a sweet aroma of God’s grace this is in my life!

Sunday morning my daughter Jennifer came into the Emmanuel Reformed Church sanctuary.  She was coming to tune up with the worship team and I was there preparing my mind and heart to lead the service and preach. When she saw me she happily said, “Here you are!  I knew you were here somewhere because I just left the office where I smelled my dad.”  We all had a good laugh over her being able to smell my presence, but she assured me it was a good, manly scent.

I suppose I could give a lot of credit to my ADIDAS aftershave, but I think there’s more to it than that.  For one thing, Jennifer has associated whatever smell that is, with me; and more importantly, it makes her happy to think about me.

Perhaps that’s a bit like the sweet aroma of Christ left in the room – the afterglow of a conversation with a brother surrendered heart and soul to the Lord.  I pray this morning that smell of “me” will be a welcome, agreeable odor to all those I’m called to love today.

“But thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumph in Christ, and manifests through us the sweet aroma of the knowledge of Him in every place.” 2 Corinthians 2:14 (NASB)