The Smelly Cattle Truck

One day this past week my girls and I were traveling down the interstate in our car, when we all began to smell this horrid smell. My oldest immediately brought her hand to her mouth and nose and said, "Yuck! What is that smell?" I began to look around for the source because by this time I am trying not to gag myself. It did not take me long to identify the cause of this bad odor. It was a cattle trailer, you know the ones that have holes down the side that transport live animals from here to there. I quickly moved to the other lane in hopes of passing the truck and putting this whole smelly situation behind us. Ironically (God ordained), later on this week in my Bible study I read 2 Corinthians 2:14, which states that through us the fragrance of our knowledge of Christ is diffused in every place. My mind went directly to that livestock truck where a fragrance was definitely being diffused in every place. It made me stop and think about my relationships with others on a day to day basis. Am I leaving a pleasant "smell" behind? One that directs them to my knowledge of Christ or do I leave everyone in my wake wishing they would never have to deal with me again? The only way to change how we react to circumstances and people is to be exposed to God's Word, which can remove our old stinky, smelly sinful nature and cleanse us from the inside out. It is in this daily transformation of dying to self that I can become a diffuser to others of the intimate knowledge I have of Christ. My friend, open up His Word today and decide to spread around a sweet smell to others so they can see Christ more fully through you. Oh, and one last thing avoid the cattle trucks!!!
2 Corinthians 2:14,15 - "Now thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumph in Christ, and through us diffuses the fragrance of His knowledge in every place. For we are to God the fragrance of Christ among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing, to the one we are the aroma of death leading to death, and to the other the aroma of life leading to life. And who is sufficient for these things?