Stink, Stank, Stunk
Stink, Stank, Stunk,” were the words that described the fictional character, the Grinch who stole Christmas. However, when you watched the program, the Grinch did not have an outward, physical, unpleasant odor, but an inward stench. He was filled with hate, greed, and envied anybody who enjoyed life. At the end of the program, the Grinch had a change of heart, which led to a change of smell. It is one of my favorite stories because it shows that hope exists for someone filled with the worst things in life instead of the best things that God has prepared for us.
The reason this story came to mind is because a few days ago I went to my garage in search of a tool. When I opened the garage door my nose was met with one of the worst odors that I have ever sniffed. What made a smelly situation worse was that I knew where the smell was coming from, my honey bee equipment. When the time is right to remove the honey from the bees, I use something called, “Bee-Gone.” This is a liquid that is sprayed on a felt cover and is placed on top of the bee box (super, gum, whatever you want to call the place where the bees live and make honey). This liquid smells soooo bad that the bees leave and you can take the honey without much of a fight. The few bees that stay to fight for the honey must all have head colds, because if they could smell, they would fly away in disgust. I have used this method for years, but after what happened to me a few nights ago, I will never use it again on my bees, or on anything else for that matter. Back to my story. The reason I smelled the “Stank” was because someone had been in my garage and moved some things around and knocked over the container of Bee Gone. I followed the smell and found the container, picked it up (big mistake) to inspect it. This was where things went from bad to worse because when I picked up the container, it was wet, and I wiped on wet hands on my dry shirt. I also noticed that I was standing in something wet, which was more Bee Gone. I immediately went back into the house to wash my hands, which brought the stink into the house. Not only does this product make bees leave their homes, but it also makes humans leave their homes! After getting mean looks from my kids, and some mean words from my wife, I decided that I will never, ever use this product again, not even on yellow jackets!
As I was in the shower, hoping the smell could be washed away, I came up with an idea for a new product. I want to call it “Mood Cologne” that works with the human body. If you are mad the cologne puts out a terrible odor that others can smell. It could be used as a warning system to yourself, because you would be the first person to smell it. It would work on all emotions, the good ones as well as the bad ones! I don’t believe such cologne could be created, but if it could, would you wear it?
I do know of a characteristic that is not man made but is a result of belonging to Jesus Christ. 2 Corinthians 2:15-16 says, “For we are to God the fragrance of Christ among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing. To the one we are the aroma of death leading to death, and to the other the aroma of life leading to life. And who is sufficient for these things?” When obedience to Christ is the goal of a Christian, that person will have a spiritual aroma that is pleasing to God. It should be the prayer of every Christian to work on their spiritual growth and scent that brings glory to God and hope to mankind. Remember, don’t give in to sin. Think about it!