Do We Look and Smell Like Heaven?
On Sunday, my Austin family and I headed to one of their favorite destinations, Cabo San Lucas, Mexico. I am so grateful to ride this wave with them. As I type this, I am on the patio smelling bacon cooking “en la casa” by our mayordomo. Oh, the food and floral scents that are so rich and full here! My senses (all five) are taking it all in!
Just three days ago, with all the giving and sharing of gifts, the beauty of laughter, the yummy foods, family togetherness, bouts of joys unspeakable and undeniable love in abundance has come to an end. Or has it? The day after Jesus was born – the shepherds returned to their fields and Mary and Joseph suddenly became a “Holy Family of 3”. Do you suppose the shepherds left that cave with heaven’s scent on them? Do you suppose their faces shone from seeing the face of God in that little baby boy?
I have several friends who have recently welcomed new babies into their homes. Christmas miracles. They must relate to the Baby born in Bethlehem at this time of the year. I’ve told each of those friends how much I want to get my hands on their angels. Most of all – to smell their “heaven’s scent”. Don’t you love that smell? After all, that’s where those precious little angels came from – from heaven. So of course, they still carry the scent of heaven on them. And, how I love kissing those “heavenly” little faces. I just can’t help myself. There is something indescribable in the face of a baby — that subconscious awareness of the heart and face of God.
Don’t you know how astounded Mary must have been to hold her newborn baby and when it came to “heaven’s scent” – that was an understatement. Mark Lowery’s song, “Mary Did You Know” asked the question “Mary did you know that when you kissed your little baby, you kissed the face of God?”
Morgan Weistling, the artist of this incredible painting of Mary and Baby Jesus, said: “I started to contemplate the awesome privilege that Mary was given, being able to hold God in her arms, but also keeping in mind that He was still her baby. This precious child she bore was also God in the flesh. And yet, she cuddled and kissed Him, just as all mothers do with their babies. This thought propelled me right into this painting which I wanted to be a very human representation of divinity. My prayer is that the viewer will be struck, as I am, with the amazing way that God chose to send His Son into this world — in pure humility.”
As precious as little babies are, anyone who carries God’s light within them also has the “face of God”, and especially those who let that LIGHT shine. Anyone who stops to give a hug or a loving touch to someone that is hurting has the face of God and scent of heaven about them. I believe it’s in the one who serves at a food pantry or homeless shelter or hospital or nursery worker, church greeters and leaders, and caregivers of every kind — anyone who volunteers their time and reaches out and touches someone less fortunate. Those are the ones who are obviously the face of God and scent of heaven in our world.
Isn’t it time, we put on our “Game Face” — our “God Face” that others see Him in us? Isn’t it time that our sweet scent of the likeness of Christ be an irresistible pull toward the Savior? When we walk with God and are imitators of His character (love, joy, peace, kindness, etc.), we will leave behind heaven’s scent that will inspire others to follow.
Isn’t it time we lived on purpose to be “His face” and “His scent” to a dying, hurting world and show them LOVE in ACTION — after all, we were all made in HIS IMAGE — and that image is what this world needs so much?