I have been at a few services where the presence of the Lord was a fragrance. One time it was Easter Lilies, another time roses, and another frankincense. I know, it is not your average church service, but it happened to me.
I love when the Lord suddenly does something supernatural and wonderful!
As noted not long ago, I have been pretty negative about a lot things since my move to greater Boston. When I sit down and have a talk with myself, I long for a few days to do nothing with my wife, rollerblading the Cape Cod Canal, fried clams in East Orleans at sunset, and some creative time that is not sandwiched between 100 responsibilities - and the ocean; complete with the sounds of thundering waves, that squawking of seagulls and the smell of the salt air.
For a few weeks I have been thinking about my day-to-day living: the kids, my wife, commuting, the office, time at home, trash day, trips to McDonalds, music, church, TV, and the swirl activity that contains the many flavors of my life.
Some days I wonder how I am going to fit sleep into my day, forget trying to squish God into the cracks between breathing and exhaling.
I'm sure it seems odd, but I decided to try an experience Him with the sense of smell. Here is sampling of the osmagogues of my day.
I wake up to the aeromatic aroma of coffee; Columbian coffee with a little milk, made by my wife. As a caffeine consumer for 30+ years, I can usually tell what kind it is before I even taste it. At 6 am, it is more fragrant than a rose. Then I am off to the shower and the scent of various soaps and shampoos tend to blend together until I get to the menthol shaving cream - that clears the olfactory pallet like sherbet and champagne between courses at an expensive restaurant. The smell of my favorite toothpaste and Brut deodorant preceed the picking of one of my favorite cologns. I have a dozen or so to choose from. My favorites are Perry Ellis, and a couple that I got in Brazil at o'Boticario.
It's Spring, so recently the incense of freshly cut grass (not mine, the nighbors!) and dew soaked hibiscus surround my walk to the car. In the car well, it depends on whether I had a fries and a burger on the way home as to the boquet. As I pull out of my street they are laying new water mains, and there is the oder of "earth" in the air. On the Interstate, the ever so monotonous and familiar fumes of fossil fuel powered transportation pours through the dashboard vents.
As I concentrate on driving not much changes unless someone ahead of me is smoking a cigarette. It's been many years since I last lit up; I still find the smell inviting. As I pull into the parking garage, the dumpster at the 1st floor restaurant, which has been baking for a few days in summer like weather, is unaviodable as I swipe my parking pass. 3 floors up, the musty scent of concrete dominates the parking lot. It is even more pungent in the unventilated stairwell to the sidewalk.
From the lobby the tang of freshly vaccuumed carpet is in the air. As stand I in front of the mirrored elevator, a subdued redolance of hydraulic fluid is suspended, unmoved as the doors open.
My day plays in reverse as head home. As I walk in the front door something in the kitchen smells good for dinner - Mary Anne is a great cook.
Finally my day ends with a goodnight kiss from my wife, revealing the scent of lilac, her favorite body wash.
The sense of smell, what a wonderful gift. I have a few other unique scents that I enjoy when I can. The smell of a spring rain, the gun powder smell at the shooting range, the carbon smell of the 3rd rail on the Boston T, and fresh cut flowers.
How about you, what tickles your olfactory desires?
Comments
Science has noted that the part of the brain responsible for olfactory function is located directly beneath our long-term memory storage drive (lol)...which explains why certain smells can immediate recall events from our past. In fact, the smell reaction is much quicker in memory recall than any other sense.
Just another small sampling of why I'm referred to as 'full of completely useless knowledge' in my own house. That just isn't right either...
Although the flower smells are taboo for my sinuses, I still like the visual array in my gardens.
Perfume scents. Some don't bother me but most do. Salt water smells in Florida does wonders for me. Always bring back some to use for my sinuses.