"EDDIE'S SHIRT"

Rene Phillips Qualls

At night, before I go to sleep, I take Eddie's shirt, bury my face in it and breathe deeply.  How very dear are the memories of him that flood over me, triggered by the scent locked away in the fabric of his shirt.  The smell of my beloved husband ... it is him, both tangible and touchable.

I started thinking about how important a person's scent is, and I wondered about the scent of God.  What does our Lord smell like?  Can I smell Him, is His scent there to stir my emotions, as Eddie's shirt does?  I decided that I could, indeed, smell God.  When I smell the ocean air, and I think about the Creator of such a vast expanse of blue, I am smelling God.  I catch a whiff of Him in Freesias, perfectly wonderful, fragrant flowers, and I appreciate the chemistry involved in concocting their perfume.  At a sniff of "skunk" my Lord is present, because it reminds me of how carefully He thought out a beautiful little animal's defense against predators!

My Beloved Savior has given me the scent of His creation to stir within me thoughts of Himself.  Tangible and touchable, God's "shirt" is everywhere.  All I have to do is breathe deeply.
 

Copyright © 1999  René Phillips Qualls  (used by permission)