What Heaven Smells Like

A delightful fragrance enveloped me. Looking around the foyer I spotted the perfume’s fount.  A dozen or so Easter lily’s huddled together, exuding their potent, sweet scent.  I couldn't resist. Bending down, I poked my nose into one of the large white trumpet shaped flowers and inhaled, deeply. Again and again. Is this what heaven will smell like? I wondered.

Throughout the day that question played in my mind.  So I did a Google search.

I discovered Scripture is full of imagery of what God looks like or sounds like. Tabernacle incense is mentioned, but what about heaven’s scent?  

When a panel of adults was asked, "What does heaven smell like?" they mentioned, "freshly baked bread, an ever-flowing river of chocolate, freshly roasted coffee, the smell of barbecue on a hot summer day." Kids commented, "bubble gum, hot dogs, spaghetti or pizza."

This fluffy feedback hardly satisfied me so my search continued until finally, I discovered this delightful, inspiring blog post, "The Smell of Heaven." It gives heaven's scent a thought provoking name of significance. 

Sally was part of a group of people in her "Winter Church" in Florida that would go out to care for those who couldn't get out on their own. Sally would visit a lady that would hardly talk to Sally and was very bitter and hardened by life. Week after week, Sally would go to her house and sit with her, but it didn't seem to be doing any good.

Then, one week, Sally bought some lotion. She went to her woman's house and asked, "Would you mind if I rub some of this lotion into your hands?"  The lady nodded, and so Sally proceeded to rub her gnarled hands with lotion. Each week, she'd ask the same question, "Would you mind if I rub some lotion into your hands?" and each week she'd gently work the lotion into those hands. Slowly, the woman became a friend to Sally.

Sally was the aroma of Christ. She was the fragrance of life.

Don't we need that fragrance in our lives!?  If I'm going to heal from this grief, I have to have others surrounding me, rubbing the healing balm of Jesus into my soul. I need encouragement and prayers and simple reminders that I'm not alone.

But it can't stop there. Because if I'm going to heal, I also need to be that fragrance to others. Reaching out to the downtrodden and tired, weak and weary. This grace I've received is not only for me to take and hoard-- it is a gift to be shared.

So what does Heaven smell like?

I think it smells like us-- you and I-- doing this walk of life together.
It's the hurt caring for the hurt.
It's the obedience in answering the small whispers from Jesus.
It's giving when I feel like I have nothing to give.
It's pushing away the pride and allowing others to encourage my heart.

It smells like lotion from the hands of one to the hands of another.
It smells like Grace.

"For we are to God the aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing. To one we are the smell of death; to the other, the fragrance of life.  And who is equal to such a task?" 2 Corinthians 2:15-16 (Written by Sarah)

Have you ever thought of heaven smelling like “Grace?” And that we can enjoy the scent of “Grace” while living out our days on earth? But often the beautiful aroma is overcome by the smell of indifference, intolerance, discord and the hurtful things in life.

 Let’s fill our hearts, hands, and mouths with grace from above! Let’s exude the scent of “Grace” here and now.  Let’s make earth smell delicious.