The Fragrance of Gratitude

Years ago an incident occurred on the Metro in Washington, DC in which a crowded subway train stalled on the tracks. Before stalling, the riders were dozing, reading or just "zoning out." But once the train stalled (and stayed stalled) - the harried commuters, all anxious to get to their homes, exploded. They noisily vented their anger and frustration. They blamed the driver, the Metro authorities, the federal government and anyone else that came to mind for this irritating disruption of their day. Somewhere in the midst of this growing bedlam, a woman holding a number of bulky bags from her day of shopping, dropped one of them containing a bottle of perfume she had purchased. The bottle shattered, releasing into the air the perfume's pure, luxurious fragrance. As this sweet smell made its way through the crowded car, the people sniffed, smiled and then relaxed. They began to laugh about their situation. What was once seen as horrible was now "no big deal!"

As followers of Jesus walking through the crowded moments of life, we can do the same as this woman who dropped her perfume. People all around us are frustrated and angry with the irritating circumstances and details of life. By being positive (and not in a Pollyanna sort of way!) we can release a sweet fragrance of hope that people need to smell. And one of the greatest ways to release such a fragrance is to work on being thankful. Far too many Jesus followers (and I count myself among them) tend to complain about life -- when we of all people should be thankful about life! After all, the author of life is our Lord, our Saviour and our Friend. So -- spread the fragrance of hope by cultivating an attitude of gratitude in your life today!

Thanks for stopping by . . .

pj