Nasty Smell

I walk in the Student Center last week from being gone two weeks to Brasil. The smell is horrible! Courtney had already throne the trash out and started lighting candles, but nothing helps. We go through the whole building and can't figure out where in the world this smell is coming from!

The whole day passes...nothing. The next day...still nothing except more candles and some carpet freshener. That doesn't do the trick either. What is it!!!!????

Thursday, Courtney comes in and there is a note on the board from Cory: "I found the smell. It's in the refrigerator." She opens the door and almost lost everything in her stomach! The doors from the fridge had opened somehow! We had all kinds of meat, vegetables, cheese, and more in the freezer and fridge. All ruined! After gathering herself, she actually took it all out and threw it away. She couldn't do anything else because the smell was THAT bad.

I happened to be late that day. Courtney called and told me what it was. I said I would clean it. SO...for about an hour I cleaned up the fridge and freezer. The smell was bad!! I really haven't ever smelled anything that bad before in my life (at least I don't remember). All I remember thinking is that it has to get clean. It got all over my hands to where I smelt a hint of it the rest of the day. Bleach helped a ton. That sucker got so bleached that the black turned white! I got it how I wanted it for the time being and went on with my day; my work continued.

Coming back in to a Student Center that has no smell was great! It also got me to thinking about ministry. I have to get into the gunk of other people's lives (bad smell and everything) if I want them to begin smelling the aroma of Christ. I might get smelly myself, but the power of Jesus (and the power of the gospel) is to change bad to good. That is GOOD NEWS!!!

Please use me, Lord, to spread your aroma to the craziest places. Give me the courage to walk where others dare not walk! You are my strength and encouragement. This is the same path you took...even to accept the stench of death on a cross.