Testimony of the Fragrance of Christ

The call of housework is beckoning me and I am trying to find all kinds of excuses this morning not to answer the call with a resounding, Here Am I. You know how it is, here I am to vacuum, here I am to scour; bathrooms and kitchens. It's all together messy, all together dusty, all together too much for one girl. See I am desperate, I would rather re-write words to songs than get in gear this morning. I've done my prep work, balanced breakfast and Roy fixed me coffee. Now coffee and me usually means relaxed morning. But, I have read this week coffee boosts the metabolism... But, here I sit in front of my lap top and a racing metabolism isn't really what I need to do this.

Jessie's blog post about being the fragrance of God everywhere we are, stayed with me yesterday. I started the morning with Charles as he had the ever fun job of shaping my eyebrows after a torrid 6 weeks growth and waxing my lip. Until recently, I was able to keep up with these particular grooming habits myself, but glasses and no magnifying mirror strong enough has led me to outsource these jobs. Even with hot wax, Charles is so gentle. He is also a sterling conversationalist and I enjoy our visits as he prunes wayward hair. We started talking about, "How I Spent my Holidays." As Charles is telling me about his, you have to know my mind is in a whirl over all he is telling me. He grew up on a ranch in South Texas. Graduated from college and for 8 years he was a parole officer. Can you see my dilemma...cowboy, parole officer, brow and waxing expert??? I am thinking, did you practice on cows? How does one know this is what I want to do when I grow up. Then he casually mentions he is gay. Since my brother is gay, I asked Charles some questions, no not if he is dating anyone and would he like to see a picture of my brother, but just life questions. Charles was honest and transparent in what he said. There in the brow studio in the midst of the fragrance area, I hope Charles was tantalized with the fragrance of Christ as we talked.

I then moved to Encore to return a jacket that I love, but doesn't go with a thing I have and a cute brown with pink polka dots light thermal shirt. I love it too, but not crazy about the neckline. Thinking on fragrance of Christ, I talked at length with one of the sales personnel who gets on my last nerve. Looked at her differently yesterday, her life is hard, she is the one who is barely holding her family together and she is wearing herself out working to make ends meet. I know because one of her colleagues told me after I had made an annoyed off the cuff remark about her last year. Boom, conviction and now an opportunity to share with her the new mercies that are new every morning. I hope in the midst of fashion, the fragrance of Christ, wowed her.

Then I headed for the SPA. Stacy was there...ready for me with a smile and asking if I felt adventuresome today. Why? Well, she wanted to know if I would like to do a 30 minute Vichy shower before my massage. Nope, I replied quickly and then explained, it is the carrot for me, a reward, for the goal of loosing weight. Off, we went to the afore pictured robing area and then to the relaxation room. The last few massages I have come to so stressed and hurting, that I never fully enjoyed the whole experience. While she is working on my back, my hamstrings would be killing me. So I fidgeted all through the massage. Yesterday, was different. Totally relaxed and in such a good mood. Then it dawned on me, the last few times I have gone for a massage, no fragrance of Christ, just someone tired, sore, irritable, and already contemplating the next thing on the agenda instead of enjoying the moment. I said something to Stacy about it and she concurred I hadn't been myself, but she was so happy to see the old personality me today. For the first time in the 3 years I have been coming to her, she had a break between appointments. She sat down to visit with me and as we talked she constantly rubbed her neck and shoulders. Stacy said she was tight and needed to loosen up. Believe me, after working on my hard shoulders and back, I know she had to be tight. I have the proud distinction of being her only client she has ever broken a sweat while working on neck and shoulders. I reminded her that I am not a highly trained professional, but have strong hands and much acclaimed in the Education Suite for my shoulder and neck rubs. You should have seen the looks as the SPA staff walked by and saw the client in a robe massaging the neck and shoulder of the massage therapist. Stacy gave me kudos and said I really have paid attention to what she does in our appointments. She was very happy. I told her, it's nothing, I also dispense what I have learned from my therapist... I am a quick and much interested learner. Stacy told me, this is the gratuity...thank you. No, it is fragrance of Christ. We have talked so much through the years about life and situations, I had forgotten the past few times, to be that for her to see Jesus. I hope she felt the effects of the fragrance of Christ.

Barnes and Noble was next. I am enamored with business books about Starbucks. I have no clue why. Went in to get 'It's Not About the Coffee' with gift card in hand. Standing in the line forms here area, I was about to make my way to the cashier after hearing, "next in line." A woman who has not been in line steps up to the counter and the cashier directs her to the line forms here area. As I was paying for the book he says, "I didn't want a cat fight at the cash wrap area." Smiling at him, I said, there wouldn't have been a fight, I would have waited for the next cashier. Totally fragrance of Christ...not something I do well in my own strength.

Last but not least, Target. I was only going in to look at one thing, a pedometer. Flash back to last week when I nearly had cart rage in the store over a parking lot incident. Low and behold, the parking place I originally could have waited for was empty. Right there at the front of the store. I thanked God for His faithfulness and the "reward" of doing the right thing last week. I was feeling pretty good about myself as I was focused on my one thing in Target. I was not looking to the right or left. Then it dawned on me, uh, that wasn't really a parking spot where I had pulled in...it was the open area next to the handicap parking. Dang! Dang! DANG!!! No reward, I am just an idiot. You think I was focused on pedometers and nothing else, you should have seen me being focused to get out of the store and drive away before getting a ticket. Got to the car, no ticket, no justifiably irate handicapped person...just freedom to get the heck out of Dodge. Now here is where God's fragrance and mercy kicked in for me. I am in such an all fired hurry to get out of the place, that I am backing up without even paying attention to the elderly couple in the Crown Victoria behind me who are backing up at the same time. I hear a horn blast. Look around, don't see anyone, must be a blast for someone else... This thought enters my mind, dang, it is the 11th and I haven't changed out my insurance card in my wallet that has expired on the 9th. Then I see the couple and the Crown Victoria...and realized, they are honking at me. I felt more horrible tacked onto my already egregious error. I get out of the car to apologize. Now they are shaking either with fear or because of a medical condition. It doesn't even occur to me that my getting out of the car and coming toward them looks anything like anger. I am apologizing profusely, too muchly and repentaly...and they are nodding their heads and probably wishing I would get back in my car and go on my way. I did and when I entered the car, fragrance of Christ overwhelmed me and I poured out my praise and thanksgiving to God for such a rich fragrance of mercy.

What cha know, writing about all of this has engerized me to get up and get to work. Thanks for reading. Thanks for being friends with a dork like me.