It was still very early in the morning when I walked out of the dense woods into the open field. The fragrance of sweet summer flowers greeted me. It was strong and encouraged me to stand still and enjoy the moment, let my senses awaken. I looked all over the ground and into the meadow, expecting to find beautiful flowers close by. I tried hard to find the source but could not identify anything. I kept walking.
The path eventually curved around the field which allowed me to look back onto the spot where I encountered the sweet smell. Then I saw them. Huge trees covered in white blossoms were lining the road at the edge of the woods. I had not been able to see the flowers because they were hanging over my head, one place I had not looked.
I was reminded of the fragrance Christians carry inside them. We too, like single flowers and clusters of flowers, carry a certain fragrance. Jesus makes us smell beautiful to God. With Christ at the center of our lives, we become a pleasant aroma to God and others around us.
When we walk in the Holy Spirit, our actions reflect Jesus’ heart. Small deeds and seemingly insignificant acts of kindness can become evidence of our loving Creator. Like single blossoms in clusters on an ordinary tree in the middle of the woods, when we unite as the Body of Christ, there will be an overwhelming fragrance. God’s love for mankind is noticed.
For we are a fragrance of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing;
2 Corinthians 2:15 (NASB)
~~~
Father, Christ alone in me makes me a pleasant aroma.
I cannot earn Your love for me.
I am not saved by what I do, but by what has been done for me.
Help me to walk instep with the Holy Spirit.
Let my fragrance, Jesus Christ, become attractive to those whom You put on my path.
Let all I do be because of Christ,
for Christ,
about Christ,
in Christ and
with Christ.
~~~
(Heidi Viars, 2013)
You had to know this would catch my attention, right? 😉
I’m so glad it popped up when I was looking for another good read. 😀
What a kind comment … just when I needed a boost 🙂 Blessings to you, dear one…
You blessed me first. 😉 Have a lovely day…
🙂
Yes, for the record, the scent came from the flowers of black locust. They bloom in early June, and they can be smelled for hundreds of yards. Another tree that can put out a pleasant odor that travels long distances is Russian olive. This seems to have been a good year for black locust blossoms. So, too, the common field daisy, autumn olive, and phlox. Even the irises seemed to scent the air well this season.
Thanks so much for that, Mr. D. … Yes, the flowers of the black locust tree are amazingly fragrant. How wonderfully kind of the Lord to engage our senses to give us little glimpses of Himself and heaven 🙂 Blessings to you and thanks so much for stopping by 🙂
Hallo Heidi,
was hast Du wieder für einen tollen Text zu den schönen Bildern geschrieben. Wenn ich nicht alles komplett lesen kann, so kann ich den Sinn schon verstehen.
Hab dich lieb!
Mama
Danke für deinen Besuch hier 🙂 … schön, dass dir die Bilder gefallen … Hab’ dich lieb!
I love how God seems to delight in hiding beautiful details in unusual places, just to bring us heightened pleasure. Great parallel in how we should be ‘smelling good’ – makes me want to be fragrant, too! 🙂
You are fragrant, if you have Jesus in your heart 🙂 I so enjoy your blog, pointing us to those details and pleasures of the Creator. Have a beautiful and fragrant week 🙂
Thanks sweet Heidi!
Lovely post. That close-up daisy is gorgeous! Thank you for sharing your gifts:)
A couple of years ago, I took some daisies that grew in a field nearby and planted them in my yard… I was tired of buying annuals every year for deer food… Now they are growing in my flower garden …What a blessing to see them come up … everywhere 🙂
So beautifully said, Heidi 🙂 I know that without Jesus in my life I would smell like a dead person and that is not very pleasant to even think of. Best to focus on the beautiful aroma of Christ in us 🙂 Have a great day! Ann
Me too, Ann… I am glad that Christ has such a beautiful fragrance … He in us … We in Him … beautiful and attractive! Hope you are well, friend 🙂
Thanks Heidi…look forward to sharing this one with my kids later when they get home from school. 🙂
Thanks so much for your kind comment! I do miss you, friend…
Love the daisy pic… I am posting some daisy photos later this week. Love God’s beauty!
Our God is so creative … when I look at the flowers I can see His gentleness and kindness displayed… Always looking forward to reading your posts! Hope your week will be beautiful!
This blessed the socks off me! thanks Heidi…Mmmm?…I’d best go find me socks now?!!! hahaha 🙂 x
Hey … you might want to check again … I think it was the Lord, He did the same for me this morning in giving me this beautifully warm and sunny day … no socks … yep.. HE blesses our socks off, doesn’t He!
Heidi, I love your pictures, words, and reply to Caddo. I know that I stink without his fragrance. Thank you for pointing to the cross.
Blessings ~ Wendy
I agree with Caddo too! The cross … the center of it all! Thanks, Wendy for being a faithful, beautifully smelling person 🙂
I’m not perfect in any way, but without Jesus I would be pure stink weed! God bless your week–love, sis Caddo
“Indeed, there is not a righteous man on earth who continually does good and who never sins.” Ecclesiastes 7:20 🙂 So glad Christ died for me! Blessings to you, sis!
Good stuff as usual. Love the poem
Thanks, dear friend! God is so good to us, isn’t He!
Lord help us to keep that fragrance for You untainted by wordly notes of counterfeit blossoms.
amen!