Fennel

 Today I was trying out yet another recipe for the fam.  Hubby wanted some eggplant - finding recipes for proper gut and overall healing is becoming an adventure!  The recipe I found looked yummy, so I started to gather the ingredients which included a bucket of spices and I popped out the front door to grab some fennel (My family comments often about me feeding them "yard" in their food!).  I wanted all of the herbs and spices to be combined very well, so they all went into the mortal and pestle.  As I was picking and de-stemming the fennel and the aroma filled the kitchen (I love the smell of fennel) I noticed my hands were thoroughly saturated with the oil and smell of fennel.  

Well, anybody that is going to be around me is going to know I've been dabbling in fennel.  It prompted me to think about my life in general.  What are my hands in and actively doing that is evident to others around me.  Am I dabbling in good things, enriching others, striving to be Christ-like, discipling, etc...

Or am I sticking my hands where they don't belong?  Pulling others down, criticizing, lying, cheating, etc...  What stink have I put my hands in that I think others won't notice?

I think of the many times God mentions people's obedience, actions, and worship being a sweet aroma, a pleasing incense to him.  I want my life to be a pleasing aroma rising up to him.  I wafting of fennel incense, a sweet cumin, warm coriander, or hot cinnamon.  

I don't want my actions, feelings, thoughts to be a stench. Every summer the road we travel to work and church is littered with roadkill and leaves a fantastic stick in the hot summer sun. The farmers whose fields fill the miles and miles around us spray their fields with a pungent manure. A skunk randomly gets a fright in our neighborhood and shares his defense with us.  All these scents, unpleasant, and something I don't want God or others smelling on me.

As I was mashing and grinding the herbs and spices together I was also reminded that there are times when we need to be put through a little pressure to get the best results.  I could have sprinkled a little cinnamon here, a little coriander there, but by grinding all the spices together, they were will mixed to spread the most efficiently over the veggies. The pressure of all the grinding and smashing brought out the oils from the fresh herbs.  Sometimes we need a little pressure, a little mixing with those around us to get the best results.  

The next time I find myself rubbed the wrong way, struggling to work alongside someone; I want to remind myself that working together, going through stresses together will only strengthen us all and working together, we can make the best aroma.