“And walk in love, as Christ also has loved us and given Himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling aroma.” Ephesians 5:2
Paradise
This is a picture of two plumeria flowers I found on the grounds of my favorite resort in Hawaii. The picture was taken on a table on the lanai of our room sometime on the day of our 25th wedding anniversary and vow renewal ceremony on our favorite beach. The large flower represents my husband, the smaller one represents me. He is definitely the strength in our family: solid, comforting, even-keeled, the logistics guy. I tend to be the expressive dreamer and the more erratic one if I’m being honest, but it works. We’re like the kite and the string—apart ok, but together—truly spectacular.
Several years ago at a retreat, as a group of women were praying for healing, all of a sudden I smelled what I could only describe as Paradise. Other women smelled different things—one said chocolate chip cookies. Someone said we were smelling the fragrance of Jesus. Years later, on our first trip to Hawaii while walking very early the morning after we got there, I smelled plumeria for the first time and it was the exact fragrance I had smelled at the retreat! I was stunned. Here I was in paradise, and the Lord revealed to me again the fragrance of Paradise.
That first trip was in the midst of incredible upheaval in our family, which was only the beginning, as I look back now, on what would be a horrific year—dare I say, decade. God was bringing me a gift, a reminder that His Son, Jesus, was with me in the midst of whatever was and would be going on.
Marriage isn’t for sissies—neither is walking with the Lord. We are called to love like Jesus, which is extremely hard at times, and I fail at it more often than I would like to admit. But whenever I look at this picture or am blessed enough to be back in Hawaii and smelling the sweet aroma of plumeria, I am reminded that this is temporary, but a shadow of what is to come. Someday all who believe in Jesus as their Savior will be in Paradise with Him, but for now we are called to love others, to be the sweet-smelling aroma that calls others to Him.
Father God, thank You for the many ways You remind us of who Your Son is, of what He has done for us, and what You are calling us to do until You take us home to Paradise. Amen.
Beautiful. 🌺🌺
Love this!
Reminds me of the song….Jesus, there’s something about that name, Jesus, like the fragrance after it rains!!
Beautifully written! The picture and the reference to the smell of Plumeria not only reminds me of the ‘sweet aroma of our Savior’…but the sweet aroma of my lovely daughter. I miss the retreats and all the special times spent with the lovely ladies who are so dear to my heart. God bless you all.
Thank you.