Fragrance of Thanks Giving
- Barb Lownsbury
- Nov 30, 2019
- 3 min read
by Karisa Moore
“MMM. You smell like coffee,” my son said after I returned from a local coffee shop. I pick up the scent because I spend a lot of time there. Similarly, my daughter picks up the scent of horses and anything else that moves because she loves animals.
As a believer in Jesus Christ, I am supposed to have His spiritual fragrance, and thanksgiving is a part of the formula. My circumstances are complicated and constant, but God is faithful to give abundant life in all I experience. 2 Corinthians 2:14 says, “But thanks be to God, who always leads us as captives in Christ’s triumphal procession and uses us to spread the aroma of the knowledge of him everywhere” (NIV). I see God’s hand so clearly on each of my circumstances, and thankfulness helps me to record those victories, remember them rightly. and share Christ with others.
Thankfulness is remembering the truth about who I am and whose I am. I study and express thankfulness through poetry and as I thought of thanksgiving, this is what emerged.
Fragrance of Thanksgiving
Breathe in the fragrance of thanksgiving. An intentional scent plugged into living. Remind Stale troubles they do not remain. Fill home with the scent of hope.
I am getting to know God’s character as I study scripture, and I trust what he is doing and believe he reveals truth through us. At the end of a battle, the victor is doused with sweet fragrances. My fragrance should be Christ because he is the source of my victories. I have had many. To claim victory I have to remember His faithfulness:
He chose me when I was broken and in sin
Delivered me from despair
Equipped me with scripture to fight the devil’s schemes
Made me a prayer warrior
Caused me to delight in others
Gave me friendships to strengthen and support me
Gave me a desire to share his love
Crushed the enemy’s attempts to destroy me through abuse and fear!!!
Defeated the grave long before I had to place my son in it
God loves me forever and my salvation is secure
God has anointed me with the truth that life has value, no matter how hard that life is. May that be the sweet fragrance you smell on me, and may it be the fragrance that envelopes you. Life has value and God loves you.
FOR FURTHER THOUGHT Breathe deeply. What current fragrances do you smell? Your spirit gives off a fragrance as well, to family, coworkers, and strangers. Are your words lifting others up? Do you have a thankful heart? Create a list of things you are thankful for. What does the fragrance of Christ smells like? If not, here is a scripture you can start with: Ephesians 5
PRAYER Today I allow you, Father, to wash away my sorrow. Lord, infuse me with the scent of understanding your ways. Discipline my brokenness. May my life become a beautiful fragrance of glory in the midst of a world filled with the dank scent of despair. Amen
KARISA MOORE is a writer, speaker, and hope warrior for those battling depression. As a survivor of suicide, Karisa saw the need for a raw, passionate, and Christ-centered voice in the depression conversation. She began blogging Turning the Page on Suicide in 2014, after the suicide of her teenage son. Her followers include church leaders, those actively struggling with depression, and fellow grievers. Utilizing her skills as a devotional writer, gift for conversing with readers through poetry, and scriptural insights into the darkness of despair, she listens, encourages, and challenges her readers to find hope amidst depression.
Every story is worth writing!
Follow her at: http://www.turningthepageonsuicide.org Twitter: @moore_karisa Facebook: Karisa Lynn Moore
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