Good morning. I would like to tell you a little something about myself that some, but not all of you, know. I am a big fan of aromatherapy. I love it. I use it. At times I cannot get enough of the sweet smells that enter my body and then take over my heart. I can be instantly transported to a particular place and time with a simple smell. I will tell you a funny story that happened to me because of this crazy little obsession I have with smell.
When I was a teenager I worked at Revco Drug Store. I was dating, what I then thought was the “love of my life.” (Turns out I was wrong, but oh well, it seemed so at the time.) Anyway, my boyfriend and I had plans to go out after work. I can’t remember what happened, but plans had to be changed and I was sorely disappointed that I would not be seeing him after all. When it was time to go home I got the wacky idea that I would spray my clothes with a sample of the cologne he wore so I would at least be able to smell him on the ride home and have that little “piece” of our date with me. I proceeded over to the fragrance counter, took out the cologne (Polo, by Ralph Lauren, a hit in the 80’s), and sprayed it all over myself. Ah, I inhaled the fragrance and felt myself feeling better already. As we were locking up the store, the phone rang. Since no one had cell phones at that time, we answered in case it was a family member trying to catch us. You probably have guessed by now it was my boyfriend. He was calling to tell me that he was so upset that we couldn’t be together, his mother had prepared a light supper and they wanted me to stop by on my way home. I jumped at the chance of seeing him and in my not-completely-developed teenage mind, I didn’t stop to consider that I reeked of Polo and antibacterial spray I had cleaned the counter with. As I pull up in his driveway, he rushed to the front door to greet me. Inside I found several family members waiting. His stepdad came up to me and stopped dead in his tracks. He said, “You’re smelling mighty clean tonight.” (He was always the wanna-be comedian). Naturally, being the open book that I am, I admitted to him and my boyfriend what had happened. I figured the truth beat any story I could have made up. May I remind you that I was still using my not-completely-developed teenage mind? The laughs and teases went on for the rest of the night. How embarrassing! The good news is that once I got home and climbed into bed, I still smelled the smell that (at that time in my life anyway) brought me comfort.
So, what does all this have to do with God? One of my favorite things to think about is found in Psalm 141:2. “Let my prayer be set forth before thee as incense; and the lifting up of 
my hands as the evening sacrifice.” Our prayers, incense? Yes, they are. They are a sweet smelling scent before the Lord. Just like I was trying my best to keep my boyfriend close to me, our prayers keep us close to God. He loves them. He waits for them. He longs for them. Most importantly, He does not ever ignore or forget them. Can you imagine every single secret prayer you’ve ever prayed is up in Heaven in God’s little “perfume” book? He keeps them stashed away in a special vial that will one day be opened and the sweet smell will engulf the air. Now, that is what I call aromatherapy! Read Revelation 5:8. “And when he had taken the book, the four beasts and four and twenty elders fell down before the Lamb, having every one of them harps, and golden vials full of odours, which are the prayers of saints.” See? Your time spent with God in conversation is not to be taken lightly. He hears you, and your words are so important to Him that He keeps them forever!
You may remember that I wrote in my first book how the smell of our house was the sweetest smell I had known since Kaleb had been hurt. When we returned home the scent of home filled my soul. I cannot wait to get to Heaven and feel (that’s right, I think we will feel) the scent of God. – Laneice Davis, Lansing NC
What a wonderful word picture of the scriptures that Laneice uses in her post! My sense of smell and the ability it has to take me someplace else is also very acute. When least expecting it, I will catch a whiff of something and think, “Ah! Grandma’s house!” When our grand-daughter, Hannah, was about three-years old I made her a stuffed kitty cat pillow and I drenched a cotton ball with my Chloe perfume. When she opened the package, in her sweet toddler voice, she said, “Umm, it ‘mells yike Mimi!”
The nose knows!
Oh Laneice,
Thank you , this is so precious, and it will always stay in my Heart!
How precious our prayers are to our Lord. Thank you sweet, sweet Lady!
God gave us five senses. What a gift. When I read this article by our friend, Laneice, the memory of many smells came back to me which comforted me as I grew up. Bless you Laneice for reminding us so well of the sweet smells He’s provided to us. And thank you my Abba for giving us the gift of smell. MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL!
I have a cousin that while growing up, her Father died in bed with her Mom on Christmas morning. As a kid she and her sister had gone to bed on Christmas Eve expecting to awaken to the traditional Christmas morning. The mother upon realizing that he had passed away from a heart attack in the night, called a friend and took the girls away without saying anything about what had happened. He was removed and life was never the same. The stay-at- home Mom now forced to be a single parent, living very far from all family and friends in a big city, stood strong and firm and decided to get a job and move on as quickly as possible. She began by removing all his clothing because there were no males in the house. And gave them all away while the girls were at school. The oldest daughter, now in her fifties and married, still has a lot of mixed, unresolved issues in her relationship with her Mom. The daughter told me that all she wanted was something that belonged to her Dad. She shared how hard it was with no warning, to lose her Dad at so young an age. But not only was he gone, but so was everything that belonged to him. As if he had never been a part of their lives. She said that she would have loved to have kept his coat that he wore. There is nothing strange and nothing more simple than to have and hold an item that smells like the person you love. It comforts you somehow. Perhaps it is physical evidence that they were really there.
When my grandmother passed away. I wanted one of her nightgowns. I wore it for two years, until it was in rags. Because it smelled like her and when I wore it, I felt close to her.
Thanks for sharing. It made me remember the Love of God for me, as well as the importance of remembering those who have gone on to be with the Lord. Their lives still linger with the smell of the path they walked. May the smell of our prayers remind God of the wonderful times we have shared with Him, and bring a smile to His face.