Brenda’s Blog – October 31, 2023
“Your room smells like Friday in my Catholic home when I grew up!”
After checking into my room I opened the door only to be met by a strong aroma of fried fish. Apparently those who used the Residence Inn suite before me enjoyed a sumptuous fish dinner. They were gone, but the odor remained.
I went to the front desk and asked for housekeeping to please bring some air freshener. Instead, the front desk attendant brought a large “odor-sucking” machine which operated for four hours while I spent time with my grandchildren.
Her comment as she assessed the situation made me laugh. Growing up as a Southern Baptist meant Fridays were not synonymous with fish, but for her my room brought back childhood memories.
Of course, it made me think about aromas. They can transport back through time, can’t they? A perfume, a food, a flower… all evoke memories. The Bible speaks frequently about them. In the Old Testament the phrase “pleasing aroma” is used to describe the result of sacrificial offerings by God’s people.
We learn in the New Testament that the prayers of the redeemed are received as incense by our God. They waft throughout heaven bringing delight and approval. Think of that! When we talk with the Creator of the Universe we are filling the enormous pans with glorious incense.
The faint, but pungent, traces of that guest’s fish dinner gave me an opportunity to remember how we have a spiritual sense of smell. We can be grateful for the heavenly olfactory sense which values our prayers. May we bring a sweet, sweet aroma before Him as we approach in prayer day by day.