Love's Aroma

Have you ever watched a mother hold her new baby? She closes her eyes and feels his new skin against her cheek as he nuzzles into her. She gently kisses his downy head…. and that still isn’t enough. She inhales deeply his sweet scent, taking part of him back inside her with her very breath.

He was one with her and now he is his own amazing being. She delights in everything about him, forgetting the months of fatigue, discomfort, pain of childbirth and a body that will never be the same again. She breathes in his very essence delighting in his sweet baby smell.

Ezekiel 20:41 tells us, “As a pleasing aroma I will accept you.”  These words astound me with the grace of the Gospel. I’m amazed after all I have done that He welcomes me into His Presence at all. He could still call Himself a gracious God and merely tolerate my presence. He could justify a distant love on any day based on my pitiful attempts at honoring Him. But He doesn’t just forgive me. He doesn’t just accept me.  He desires oneness with me. A restoration of our former unity before the Fall. He welcomes me into Himself as pleasing aroma. Love's aroma.

  

Just as a mother misses that baby growing safe and secure inside her, He misses that unity with us. A complete intimacy where nothing separates our love. Where we are safe and close and completely dependent on Him to enjoy this fascinating world He has created.

He prays for us to be one with Him. Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us…(John 17:21a)

He begs us to be one with Him. I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. (John 15:5)

He beckons us to stay safe in His love.  As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. (John 15:9)

If you have children, inhale that sweet scent of your babes today. Remember that is how our Father feels about you a million times over.  If they are long and lanky like mine and smell all boy, breath them in anyways. Squeeze them tight. Then send those sun-kissed, delightfully sweaty boys up for a bath. 

Why I Really Run

This morning I ran on our "new to us" fancy treadmill for the first time. We were very blessed to store this beauty temporarily for some great friends. It comes in handy for days when I can't run outside. I plugged in my podcast and started jogging. It wasn't long before I had been visited FOUR times by two little boys, who desperately wanted a turn. One of those times was to inform me that a toilet was plugged. It was then that I remembered why I run. 

I don't run because I love sucking air, my side cramping and sweat dripping down my shirt. It isn't because I love having my legs feel so tired for the next two days that I can barely walk upstairs to bed at night. And it definitely isn't because I'm a naturally born runner.

I run for three reasons.

 1) I have a serious and steady relationship with dark chocolate. And an occasional flirtation with    

      Boba.

 2) I get to be ALONE

      - to think

      - to pray

      - to listen to an entire podcast without someone telling me the toilet is overflowing

3) I love to be outside and CO weather, though schizophrentic at times, is much more conducive to this in January than South Dakota. 

Running (READ: slowly jogging down steep hills and panting up them) helps me be a better mom. That, and a lot of dark chocolate...

Now to tackle that toilet go out for burgers...and possibly put a lock on the basement door before tomorrow's run. :)