I'm delighted to have Cathy Baker as my guest blogger today. Check out her bio following her post. You'll see links to her books, and an opportunity to subscribe to her blog and receive a free gift.
"It smells good in here!"
Our six-year-old granddaughter, Piper, recently spoke those coveted words. Why coveted, you ask? Because I have scented memories from my childhood that bring me much joy and I want the same for my grandchildren.
One whiff of a gardenia and I'm immediately transported to my paternal grandparents’ concrete walkway where the fragrance from these heavenly-scented stark-white flowers led the way to their front door. And, rarely do I bring a steaming cup of coffee to my lips without thinking of my maternal grandmother and her home, where the scent of roasted grounds greeted you with a warm hello at the back door.
The gift of our senses is an extraordinary treasure from God.
Scientists agree that the sense of smell is the most powerful link to our memories. Equipped with this knowledge, I try to create present opportunities for my grandchildren to draw upon in the future. I often have a particular vanilla candle lit when family and guests arrive (hence the comment from the granddaughter!). This fall, Piper and I will crank up the cherry-red mixer and bake together.
While I hope these experiences will create sweet memories, they are meaningless without the most important scent of all.
"Our lives are a Christ-like fragrance rising up to God."
2 Corinthians 2:15 NLT
We all know what happens when we're hugged by a person who splashes on perfume like bath water. We carry their scent on our skin and clothes the rest of the day. (That is, unless you're allergic to perfume like me. Then, you go straight home and shower!)
But isn't that what we want to happen with our children and grandchildren? To live our lives in such a way that the fragrance of Christ in us can't help but rub off on them for an eternity?
Now that, my friend, is an extraordinary treasure.
What about you? Comment about the scents you share in your home. Have you had treasured moments with children or grandchildren that spread the fragrance of Christ?
Bio: Cathy Baker is an
award-winning writer and author of Pauses for the Vacationing Soul: A Sensory-Based Devotional Guide for the Beach as well as Pauses for the Vacationing Soul: A Sensory-Based Devotional Guide for the Mountains As
a twenty-five year veteran Bible instructor, she's led hundreds
of studies and workshops. She's also contributed to numerous
anthologies and publications, including Chicken Soup for the Soul, The Upper
Room, and Focus on the Family’s Thriving Family. In
addition, her poetry can be found in several popular anthologies. She
and her husband, Brian, live in the foothills of the Carolinas
where she one day hopes to have her very own Goldendoodle.
Subscribe to Cathy’s blog
and receive a free e-book, “Praying In Every Room of Your Home”. http://www.cathybaker.org
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