Running Lesson #6

A PLEASANT AROMA

“…a fragrant aroma, an acceptable sacrifice, well-pleasing to God.” - Phil. 4:18

Having a very good sense of smell is not all it’s cracked up to be! Oh, it has its pros but it very definitely comes with a set of cons as well. For whatever reason, my olfactory system is highly charged and incredibly sensitive. I can smell the dead opossum on the side of the road when he’s still alive! It is nice when there is fresh-baked bread in the air or a nice scent in the room, but it can be downright tough at other times.

So you can imagine how I felt on a recent run when I got a snout-full of the scent of moth balls! Here I am, running down the road, inhaling deeply when it hits me like a ton of bricks. I don’t know how you feel about moth balls, but personally I will fold, wrap, and hand deliver my entire wardrobe to the moths before I ever try to repel them with the hideous and insidious smell of those marble-sized menaces. That’s how I feel about the smell of moth balls.

So you can image how I felt when just a few houses down, as I was trying to snort out the previous odor (literally), I got a whiff of someone grilling meat over charcoal! Oh have mercy did it smell good and was it ever a nice surprise! It was all I could do to not drop in and see what was on the menu. I suddenly went from running faster to get away from the stench to slowing down to enjoy the pleasant aroma. What a nice change.

The entire episode reminds me that we all have an “aroma”. As we go through our day and interact with others, they are getting a “whiff” of who we are. Sometimes the experience is pleasant and they like to linger, but other times the odor repels them. You know what I mean because you experience the aroma of other people every day. Some are good and some are bad – but everyone has an “aroma”.

Attitude, disposition, words, actions, body language, and facial expressions are all a part of our aroma. I can’t change all the bad smells out there but I can make sure that I don’t add to them. I’m thankful to the moth ball house for reminding to not “stink” and to the grilling people for reminding me that a pleasant aroma is a welcome delight for someone! What do others think about your “aroma”? Think about it.

Gotta run!