the sanctity of scent

When we first moved into the trailer, I remember that one thing stood head and shoulders above the rest when it came to adding difficulty to the adjustment. The ants?A little annoying. The small space? A bit frustrating. The heat? Somewhat aggravating.

The smell? Completely disheartening. It almost put me in tears several times, and not because it was making my eyes water.

I am learning that there is something sacred about smell. It makes sense even when one looks at it scripturally. God refers to Israel's actions and heart as either a pleasing aroma or a stench to him. Disobedience is literally compared to an offensive smell! And indeed, there is something about smell that touches us in a deep place. Ask a missionary what was hard about adjusting to a new place, and more often than not, you will hear about the odor. Observe a mourning family member with their nose buried in the clothing of the lost loved one, holding on to the scent. Watch the way that a particular smell can bring back memories so vividly that one will laugh out loud or melt into tears.

The rising spring temperatures are beginning to bring out the smells that winter had subdued in our home. Walking into the trailer, we are often stunned to feel our senses offended by a foul stench. More than that, we walk out of the trailer knowing that our clothes smell the same way. It is a little awkward. And I can see it on all of our faces: it is disheartening.

In our society, we make quick judgements based on how someone smells. We go so far as to think of someone as lazy, uneducated, or worthless when they walk in smelling badly. Yet here I am, well-adjusted, a leader in many settings, with an almost-completed master's degree, and I smell the same as those among whom I live. It is such a tangible--and uncomfortable--part of living in solidarity. Sometimes I want to just escape it, to run away and live somewhere where my clothes will smell sweet. Yet I realize how shallow that is in the end. Jesus calls us to lay down our lives for him. Period.

Let us be a people, a group of Christ-followers, who give a second thought to our assumptions about those whose odor offends our senses. Perhaps they have a spouse who smokes, and will not quit despite their pleading. Perhaps they work a job that would make most of us cringe, just because they are committed to feeding their families. Perhaps economic circumstances have forced them into housing that, no matter how clean they themselves are, will forever carry the scent of careless previous tenants.

Ultimately, we must face this: the judgment we hand out is a far greater stench to God than anything or anyone that may cross our paths today.

we've named them all Eduardo

Well, pop pop, fizz fizz! turned unto hack hack, cough cough. Burst pipes bring mold! Thankfully, our landlord came and gave us new carpet in the bathroom (yep, carpet). While it was being installed, I got to catch a glimpse of what our floors look like: nothing but some thin plywood, some of it looking a little...sketchy. I love this place.

As for the ants, there are everywhere: in the food, on toothbrushes, in trash cans. Amazing where those little guys can go! As we named all mice Bobby, we have decided that the ants are all Eduardo. A couple days ago, I put my workout bag on my bed, totally unaware that a half eaten energy bar was inside. Later, I returned to my bed only to see that my sheets were basically alive! A huge line of Eduardos made its way across the wood of our bunk bed, and hundreds of them were crawling where I hoped to sleep. Ugh. In a less-than-refined moment, I uttered the first thing that came to mind: "You filthy bastards, get out of my bed!" Kim had a good laugh with me, and Leah later sprayed Raid on the wood. We still haven't decided if spraying toxins so close to my pillow was wise...

Last week, we spent Thursday night celebrating a neighbor's 13th birthday. It was a great (and totally exhausting) night, and we got to meet some more neighbors. Watching this girl turn into a teenager impresses on us anew the sense of call to communicate truth and strength to these kids. We long to help her navigate this exciting but very awkward time in life. So many days, we simply need reminders that God is able to do far more than we could imagine, and that there is great hope for these little lives to be lived beautifully.

One of the most exciting recent outings was a Spring Break day at the Zoo. A couple of us took the kids to Sonic, the Zoo, and for some ice cream before playing in the park. Since it was a Thursday, they also got to come watch a movie later. It was so encouraging to hear their excitment and joy throughout the day. Spring break trips or outings are a given for many from a different class bracket. Here in the park, they are not at all. It was a great day!

So much has happened in the time since I last wrote that my thoughts are scattered. But suffice it to say that life continues to go on here on these dusty (currently muddy) streets, life in all of its beauty and tragedy and messiness. God is at work. Lives are changing: ours and theirs.

"Praise the Lord, O my soul."