I Stink!

For the past few days there's been a stink in the garage, probably coming from the garbage.
Man, it will be nice to put out the garbage tomorrow morning and be rid of the assault on my nostrils.
But last night I needed to drive down the hill for choir practice. I collected all my stuff, grabbed a water bottle out of the fridge, opened the car door and slipped quickly into the driver's seat.
An odor rushed toward me, tackled me, made my eyes water, rubbed itself into my nose, poured down my throat.
Nausea nearly overwhelmed me.
"Oh. . . oh. . . where is that coming from?" I almost gagged on my own words.
I glanced wildly around, scanned the passenger seat, the second row of seats.
Nothing.
It had to be coming from the cargo area.
I pressed the back latch release and jumped out of the car, holding my nose.
Running around to the back of the car I examined the cargo area. Maybe it was coming from the hot/cold bag we use to transport ice cream, milk, eggs, etc. from the store.
No. Empty.
The mesh bag that stretches across the back of the cargo area sometimes holds small grocery bags. I pulled the bags out and spread them on the carpet.
Nothing.
One last bag to check. My hands wormed inside and touched something unfamiliar.
Something round and smooth.
What?
I pulled it out. For a second I couldn't identify the bowling-ball shape in my hands.
When I did, I let out a bellow: "EEEEEEWWWWWW!
The once plastic, cylinder shape of ground beef had ballooned into a ball of putrifying meat. Gasses produced by the rot threatened to explode the plastic container at any minute.
I hurried the swollen container to the garbage can and gingerly placed it on top of other garbage bags. After I returned from choir I'd wrap it up more securely.
The stink in the car was so potent that I drove the whole hour trip with all the windows down, in spite of the rain.

We're usually very careful to remove all grocery bags from the back of the car after we shop.
Somehow this little bag had escaped our attention.
Until the stink alerted us to a problem.

Have you ever thought about your soul "stink" in this way?
It, too, can be ignored. . . for a while. You've securely packaged it and hidden it from the eyes of those who might judge you.
But after a while, though the package may be small, it grows into an un-ignorable situation.
The resulting stink doesn't just assault you; it pretty much sickens everyone within  smelling distance.
Have you ever thought that your sin sickens others around you?
Not exactly a pleasant thought to meditate on.

I sometimes apologize to my husband for all my "soul stink" he has to put up with.
My goal is to clean it all out (by God's grace and through His power) and get sweet-smelling.

I wonder if we'll be able to smell Jesus when we see Him.
What will He smell like?
Flowers, incense, the sweet wood-shavings of a carpenter, a pine forest, rain?
Oh, to smell like that!

Lord, please clean up my stink. I want to be a sweet offering for you.

"Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children and live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave Himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God." (Eph. 5: 2 NIB Bible)