aroma of praise

A man came into the corps for help today, who was one of those people who come in a little too often and don't always seem to have a legitimate story, if you know what I mean. (Yes, we help him anyway!)

Today he came in when we were in a little staff meeting (I mean little! we only have 2 employees at the moment, plus one of our recruits was there as well). Major negotiations regarding the menu and plans for everything for the next two weeks! So this guy had to wait until Andrus, our translator who also handles social work at the moment, was free.

Finally we're done, and give him our attention. And I'm thinking, what this guy needs more than anything is a SHOWER! Now, usually I have a pretty strong stomach, and can tolerate a LOT in the way of odors, but he really smelled awful.

But all he wanted was help getting HOME! He even had a letter from the police, so we felt like he was legitimate this time. He wanted to catch a 4:00 bus and it was like 3:30 already! So Tim and Andrus drove him to the bus station, and got him a ticket for a bus home, somewhere out in the country (somewhere NOT in Tallinn, which he was quite desperate to leave!).

Then two teenage girls came by. We have Teen Club on Friday nights, but they were way early and no one else was there yet. I was actually a little embarrassed because the building really reaked even though this guy was gone already. I even propped open the door, even though it's below freezing outside (according to http://www.weather.ee/tallinn/)!

Then I got some scented votive candles that I bought for our prayer room, and lit those. Then I wiped down the seat where he was (it still smelled!) with some lilac handwipes that one of our soldiers had given to me because she knows that lilacs are my favorite flower. (Boy, was that thing dirty! I bet it's never been cleaned!)

Finally, that all done, I went into my office and started looking for a cassette tape to put on. And the first one I saw was called "Aroma of Praise"!

Wow, what a contradiction in terms at that moment for me! To see the words "aroma" and "praise" anywhere near each other at that point really seemed like an oxymoron.

I tremble to think how often our "aroma of praise" actually stinks to high heaven!

It was said of Noah's offering, "The LORD smelled the pleasing aroma" (Genesis 8:21).

May it be said of us:
"Thanks be to God, who ... through us spreads everywhere the fragrance of the knowledge of him. 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. And who is equal to such a task? Unlike so many, we do not peddle the word of God for profit. On the contrary, in Christ we speak before God with sincerity, like men sent from God." (2 Corinthians 2:14-17)

Who is equal to such a task? NOT I!

But -- "our competence comes from God" (2 Corinthians 3:5).

Evelyn (going to play a game with Peter now that she's done preaching!)