Aroma of Christ

When was the last time you were sniffed? By a human? Up until about a month ago, the answer for me would have had to have been never. But life brings new experiences daily and this particular day did not disappoint. Leaving a summer job of teaching swimming lessons with my two children, my errand list necessitated that we stop at a discount store that will remain nameless, but one that I loathe entering. One of my stops in the monstrosity of discount was the shoe department, where a very helpful lady helped me locate swim shoes so that I wouldn’t tear up my feet teaching swimming lessons. She very kindly led me to the swim shoes, showed me my selection, then turned to me and sniffed. Yes, she sniffed me. Two quick, polite whiffs. Her comment was, "Have you been at the pool?" Now, how do you answer that? And if she works in the shoe department, shouldn’t she be thankful to be smelling sunscreen and chlorine instead of feet?
2 Corinthians tells us that we are continually ‘sniffed’ in this world: "For we are to God the aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing. To the one we are the smell of death; to the other, the fragrance of life." Me? The aroma of Christ? In my heart, I’m far more likely to be the aroma of sunscreen and chlorine, dinner cooking, or dirty laundry. But as I toss aside all of those things and make my way to the foot of the throne, I am less and He is more. My earthly aroma of selfishness, pride, and impatience is taken away as I let Him replace it with the sweet fragrance of Christ’s love.
The difficult task is to continually return to the throne. To be the aroma of Christ without daily (sometimes hourly) trips before His throne would work as well as being the aroma of clean without a daily shower.
My constant prayer is that I look less like me and more like Him. So, I suppose now I shall also pray to smell more like Him, too. After all, I would love for someone to sniff me and ask, "Have you been at His throne?"