This Christmas, I had the joy and pleasure of roasting vegetables for our Christmas dinner.
I hadn’t roasted vegetables before, at least not that I could remember. I found a recipe that looked good online and ran with it. It called for olive oil, balsamic vinegar, thyme, garlic, salt and pepper, and of course, lots of veggies! So, I diligently chopped all the veggies I could find in our home. Broccoli, cauliflower, zucchini, and red onion. The carrots, I lightly peeled but left long as if they were plucked from Rabbit’s garden. Very carefully, I minced the garlic and thought to add an extra clove, because why not? Once they were chopped, I scooped up the veggies and laid them on the prepared baking tray. The carrots got their very own tray.
I measured out the teaspoons of oil and seasoning, artistically drizzling and sprinkling in the shape of a Z over the veggies. I crunched-crunched-crunched the salt and cracked-cracked-cracked the pepper. Oh, I couldn’t forget the garlic! So I sprinkled in the small yet so strong garlic. Then, using my hands, I tossed all the veggies together - oil, seasoning, garlic and all - and patted them as though I was tucking them in goodnight. I thought to myself, I really hope this turns out well…and I really hope I didn’t over-salt them!
I briefly rinsed my hands so I could get the oil off. Grabbing the trays, I strategically placed them in the center and closed the oven door. The heat made my cheeks all red. Whew. Just like that, the veggies were in the oven and the timer was set. I would use the time to clean up the mess and check them in 12 minutes.
I write all this to say (you are probably wondering where I am going with this) that for days after, I remember this particular, delicious, seemingly ordinary, roasted vegetables Christmas dinner dish.
Sure, they tasted good.
Yes, they were fun to make with my little artistic flair (Ratatouille fans, yes, I was "getting fancy with the spices.").
Oh, and how sweet it was to share some moments with my mom as we listened to sweet Christmas songs by Andrea Boccelli and his family while I prepared the dish.
And, there were leftovers.
However, these things were not necessarily what I remembered most about this particular, delicious, seemingly ordinary, roasted vegetables Christmas dinner dish.
What was it you may ask?
The garlic.
"Tori, why on earth are you making such a big deal about this garlic?"
Because, the garlic got all over my hands! The scent has stuck with me for literally days afterward. I enjoy the scent of garlic, but not to wear it like a hand cream. As I sit and write this I can still pick up the garlic with my nose - though it is faint. And while it is day three post-Christmas and I have ferociously scrubbed and washed and showered, there is a slight hint… a reminiscent scent… of garlic.
I’m sure you’re thinking to yourself, this sounds like a personal problem to me, Tori. And, you may be right. Don’t worry, I’m sure a little lemon juice should do the trick (Thanks, Mom!).
It has been discovered that scent triggers our memories the strongest:
“When you see, hear, touch, or taste something, that sensory information first heads to the thalamus, which acts as your brain's relay station. The thalamus then sends that information to the relevant brain areas, including the hippocampus, which is responsible for memory, and the amygdala, which does the emotional processing.
“But with smells, it's different. Scents bypass the thalamus and go straight to the brain's smell center, known as the olfactory bulb. The olfactory bulb is directly connected to the amygdala and hippocampus, which might explain why the smell of something can so immediately trigger a detailed memory or even intense emotion.”
The Bible tells us in 2 Corinthians 2:15 that, “Our lives are a Christ-like fragrance rising up to God.”
What do you smell like? I’m not talking about body odor - although, that is important and we really shouldn’t neglect showering and using deodorant. But truly, if you were to smell yourself - with a spiritual, relational, emotional nose - what is the aroma you give? What would you smell like? It’s a funny question, but I think it may be worth pondering. Is it pleasant or pungent? Is it friendly or foul?
Here’s another question: Have you ever had an interaction with someone that really left a mark on you? Positively, perhaps this person said or did something really kind, gave you that comforting hug or listening ear, or served you in some way. Or, maybe it was a negative interaction that was snarky, mean, or made you feel small? Perhaps they said or did something that was not kind in the slightest. And, maybe you don’t even remember what was said or done, but you sure remember how it made you feel.
That’s the garlic.
The lingering. The scent that stayed with you. The garlic on the hands.
The reality is that every single one of us have had these interactions. The garlic on the hands is personal to us all because we are all human and we leave an impact whether we know it or not - positive and negative. In what we say and do, we leave a scent wherever we go. And according to Scripture, the LORD smells us, too! In the way we live our lives, it is an aroma to Him.
Here is the Scripture in context:
“But thank God! He has made us his captives and continues to lead us along in Christ’s triumphal procession. Now he uses us to spread the knowledge of Christ everywhere, like a sweet perfume. Our lives are a Christ-like fragrance rising up to God. But this fragrance is perceived differently by those who are being saved and by those who are perishing. To those who are perishing, we are a dreadful smell of death and doom. But to those who are being saved, we are a life-giving perfume. And who is adequate for such a task as this? You see, we are not like the many hucksters who preach for personal profit. We preach the word of God with sincerity and with Christ’s authority, knowing that God is watching us.”
2 Corinthians 2:14-17 (NLT)
What does this mean for us as believers? We should strive to live a life of smelly love - a love that lingers on people. I’m not talking about being overbearing and annoying. I’m talking about leaving a lasting mark of love on people. One that gets them thinking and curious and drawn into the love of God. Paul encourages us to let LOVE be the highest goal (1 Corinthians 14:1).
Now, we cannot control how a person (a believer or nonbeliever) may react to how we love. For all my people-pleasers out there (myself included), the thought of not being liked isn’t pleasant. We don’t necessarily want nonbelievers (like Paul talks about) to perceive the scent we give off as dreadful death and doom (*nervous laugh*). Why? We want to be loved!
Yet, we must know that Christ first loved us. We don’t love others so that we can be loved in return. We love others because we have been loved first by Jesus! And we have a responsibility to love and to share His love - no matter the outcome. Jesus even tells us that people are going to hate us because we love Him - but to take heart and know that we are blessed when that happens (Matthew 5:10-12, John 15:18-25). Jesus assures us that He will give us His Spirit so that we can genuinely, authentically, sincerely love one another. This is possible through the power of His Spirit - the Holy Spirit.
There is no law against love or any of the Fruit of the Holy Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23). When we choose to love - whether it is sharing truth in kindness, helping someone in need, sharing a word or prophecy and encouragement, it is love. People who are far from God or don’t believe in Him will perceive the aroma as death and doom. And people who do believe will perceive the aroma as edifying, refreshing life-giving perfume. Regardless of the outcome, love lingers.
We are not God and we cannot control how people will react or respond to our love or sharing of the Truth of Jesus Christ. But, may we be resolute in letting our lives be a pleasant aroma to God and those around us. And if it’s not pleasant (at first) to those who don’t believe in Jesus, then let it be a scent of love that lingers like garlic. A love that gets them thinking…gets them curious… gets them intrigued. And let the Holy Spirit do the rest. We do our part in faith, and God does His.
Our role is faith and obedience.
Our role is to be the scent of Christ, the scent of love, everywhere we go!
Our role is to make the name of Christ known to the world through love, for it is our love that demonstrates that we are His.
Do not fear what others will think. Be brave for Jesus. Live a life of smelly love for Him.
“Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples.”
-Jesus, John 13:35
Reflection Questions:
Using a spiritual/emotional/relational nose, what do I smell like? What scent do I carry? What do I want to smell like?
Are there any "scents" (marks) that I am carrying that could affect how I perceive the world around me?
Can you think of a time you tried to love someone or share Jesus and it was rejected? What about a time when it was accepted?
What are three ways you can smelly-love people (ie. at home, in your workplace, in your relationships, in day-to-day life)?
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