II Corinthians has become a sweet fragrance to my soul in the last few days as I see my precious husband grieve over the loss of both parents in the space of 18 days and having read Christina Wilson's blog on memorial stones (see http://users.bible.org). My heart has been churning on ideas, thoughts and memories in a time of grief.
In going through all of the funerals, the many wonderful "things" that made up their lives, and seeing the fruits (literally flowers, squash, pumpkins) it became abundantly clear that their lives were a sweet fragrance to many that we were not aware of even though we spent time with them, interacted with them weekly, visited as often as work allowed. As we viewed family photos, dug through the many boxes in the attic, there were more than enough of those to fill a consignment shop, we became more acutely aware of their love of creating crocheted rugs for family members, saving items for a future date or for their loved ones upon their passing. The greatest gift of all has been looking through their Bibles for notes and sermons, pastor's names and ideas they had gleaned over their 73 yrs of marriage. Yes they will be missed but their legacy of a sweet fragrance lives on. This challenges me to begin thinking, what fragrance am I leaving for my loved ones should the Lord tarry His coming?
2Cor 2:14-16 God ...who makes known through us the fragrance that consists of the knowledge of him in every place. For we are a sweet aroma of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing – to the latter an odor from death to death, but to the former a fragrance from life to life.
