Heaven Scent

There are people in my life who want me to give up coffee. 

Concerned, well-intentioned people. People who love me and want me to be the best I can be. 

I’ve come to the conclusion that these people are part of an alien invasion. Take cover, friends. They are everywhere, and they look very much like your husband, your doctor, and your cashew-crunching, yoga-bendy friends. 

I could almost give up the taste of coffee. As much as I love the stuff, I’ve never really cared for the flavor. My cuppa usually consists of a 50-50 ratio of liquid java beans and half & half, with a heaping dose of whatever sweetener I have on hand. Sugar, honey, stevia . . . I’ve even been known to add a dollop of ice cream if there’s any in the freezer. Now that’s good stuff. 

Even with all the extras, I could almost bid my caffeinated goblet farewell, if it weren’t for the smell. 

Oh, that heavenly, divine aroma. It’s the scent of the angels, I tell you. One whiff, and I’m drawn to it like a hound dog to a T-bone. It fills my senses and injects my whole being with a dopamine rush not even Niagara Falls can rival. 

I love that smell. 

And I’m not alone. According to research conducted in September, 2016, there are 100 million people in the U.S. who consume coffee every day. Most of us gulp, sip, or slurp more than three cups a day, and 65% add cream and sugar. Four billion dollars is spent each year just importing the stuff, and over 18 billion is spent on fancy, name-brand specialty drinks. 

That’s a lotta Joe. I think it all has to do with that smell. It’s like a magnet, tapping into our olfactory glands and drawing us like bears to a honey-hive, or teenagers to a free concert. We just can’t control ourselves. 

Which proves my assertion that coffee is the scent of the angels. Think about it. When we percolate God’s character in our lives, when we brew kindness, gentleness and compassion, we carry an irresistible aroma. While those around us are repelled by judgment and hate, they are drawn to genuine, authentic love that can only be found where God’s presence lives. His existence is the definition of love, and it smells so good. 

I’ve known people with that smell. These are people I feel safe with. I don’t worry that these people will say unkind things about me behind my back, or slash me with harsh judgment or cutting remarks. These people genuinely like me, accept me, and want good things for me. And they treat everyone else the same way. They have an essence about them, a scent that draws others in . . . draws us to the love in them, to God’s presence in them. 

I want to smell like that. 

I want to emit that fragrance. 

I want to be the kind of person people are drawn to, feel safe with, and want to be around. I know that when I pour God’s essence and sprinkle his freshly-ground Word into my life, He’ll brew an aromatic pot of something irresistible. 

“Beloved, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves is born of God and knows God,” 1 John 4:7.