A Sweet Aroma

I had just walked out of the bathroom, in an attempt to escape the foul smell, where some hidden varmint had died. It was one of those smells that enters the nostrils and seems to go straight to the back of the throat to hit the invisible “gag reflex” button instead of proceeding to the olfactory “station” where normal tolerable smells go. As soon as I smelled it, I proceeded, with hand firmly over mouth, to peak into the water cistern that holds the water we need for everyday use. It was there that I was pretty certain I saw the dead  remains of a floating bit of unidentifiable gray fluff which seemed to be the culprit.  So straight out the door I went in a hurried attempt to breathe and sustain life.

 I made it to the kitchen.  I thrust through the last few strides of my sprint for the back door. There I hoped to drink deeply of fresh air.  It was not to be had.  The strong January winds in Kampot are one of the blessings of life here. Cool breezes try to convince you that living here really is something that physically can be done without year long torture from the ever looming “environment.”   But the breeze proved a curse upon my arriving at the door hoping for that needed breath.

 The stench of freshly stirred up pig dung and urine stung my nose as I sucked in with all the force of need that was screaming in my lungs. Having bent over to steady for the breath that I was focused on, I found myself bolting up and headed out of the kitchen as fast as I had entered. This time I ran to our half bath in search of toilet paper that I reasoned would serve me as I began to blow out the sickening odor that was stinging and burning. I quickly replaced the first bit of paper with a wad of a second portion which I hoped would serve, this time, to reduce what was coming in, instead of serving as catcher of, what I thought must be visible, green stench fumes steaming out.

 Strangely enough, in the midst of all the drama, a thought came to me. It was sobering. The thought was not, “Agh! Could I be any more grossed out and frustrated?”  It wasn’t, “Why Lord are the challenges of daily life here ever looming?”  It wasn’t even that I wish my neighbor would not always clean her pig sty and burn her trash every time the wind seems to be gusting in the general direction of my windows. But my thought went immediately to my life and the state of our lives as believers… huh.

 I should have listened to my husband who was constantly reminding me that when it comes to rats and other varmints that I have to wage war, break out the D-con, or whatever it takes to stay on top of the little problems that can become bigger. Sometimes I like to think that  I don’t want to be inhumane. But, the Lord wanted me to hear that; “taking care" of the "little foxes" must be done. Some things I can’t control, like the odor blowing over from the pigs next door. But my water, I need. It is life in my house and without it being clean, other diseases and problems will arise. Oh, that I would hear sound wisdom. That I would never be found trying to be “considerate” while a “little fox” is being used of the enemy to "spoil" the life that He has blessed me with, provided, and expects for me to share with others.

May we all be found being extremely conscientious about guarding those things that the Lord has entrusted to our care: our family, ministries, our “homes” from wrong attitudes, wrong perceptions, wrong actions, unchecked pride, selfishness… “little foxes”. We don’t want to find that the life giving streams of fresh water in our spiritual lives have been sabotaged; living waters meant to refresh and bless us and those to whom the Lord sends us. We must wage war on the "little foxes" never allowing things that seem insignificant, to spoil the sweet aroma of undefiled lives that are sparkling and transparent. We must be serious in taking opportunity to no longer deceive ourselves but choose to live humble, repentant, conscientious, transparent, faith filled lives meant to please our God through Jesus! So let’s not allow things to stay hidden till they are dead and stinky. Let us instead purify our “vessels” and homes that we may be considered a sweet smelling aroma to the Lord.