This weekend I was working a Blazing Rock event with my roommate and cousin in Texas. We had one of many booths in a trade show building. A booth that was not very far from us was Scentsy. You know, those little cubes of wax that you melt in a cutesy little pot. I have to confess, I've never been a scentsy fan. I've just never seen the point in having a candle smelly-good thing without getting to enjoy the soft glow of a tiny flickering flame. Maybe, it's more because I'm a pyro... but I LOVE candles! My roommate recently got her first job as a teacher and she decided that she needed to get a Scentsy contraption for her room so she could combat the scent of "5th Grade Boy".
While looking over the different scents available my cousin wisely choose one called, "Route 66." When she showed it to me I crinkled my nose and asked, "What kind of a scent is that?" But as soon as I removed the plastic and the wonderful smell hit my nostrils I knew exactly what kind of a scent it was. It was the scent of a freshly showered man! Before I could say anything my cousin says, "It smells like a good boy."
When it was my turn to go pick out a scent I surveyed the titles, "Apple Pie," "Blueberry Cheesecake," "French Lavender," I spied one that not only is the title of my favorite ZZ Top song, but also completed the discussion we had just had moments before: "Sharp Dressed Man!"
Chatter abounded when I returned to my friends at our booth and we all breathed deep the smells we had collected. All three of us are single and we joked about how we would now at least get to smell a boy every now and then. We would no longer have to walk slowly as we passed by Abercrombie.
I had to run a quick errand this morning so before I left I plugged in the warmer and put one of our "man smells" on so the apartment would smell good when I got back. Boy did it ever! Scentsys are strong and our apartment is not big. Ha! I was almost knocked over when I opened the door, but in a good way.
As I went about my morning activities enjoying the smell of my apartment I remembered a praise and worship song I used to love in high school. One of the lines is "Your fragrance is intoxicating in our secret place." The song is comparing a relationship with Christ to a relationship with a significant other. Now, I've read all the books there are to read about "dating Jesus" while you are single. And to be honest I'm really tired of that game. (Side note: God knows I'm tired of that game, I've told him many times, but I am actively waiting for whoever he has for me, and I'm begging God to bring him soon.) But the scent turned into a bit of an object lesson for me.
God's love for me IS extavagant. His friendship IS meant to be intimate. He calls us His bride and in Ephesians 5 Paul talks about how a bride is to be cherished. I love that word, cherished. I need to take time to relish in, cherish, and be intoxicated by His love for me just like I am fully enjoying the current smell of my apartment.
