The Fragrance of Chicken Marsala
Recently, I attended a luncheon for pastors at a hotel in
Manhattan. The room was very crowded,
making it difficult for the servers to maneuver around the tables and through
the chairs with their trays of food. As usual, I was keeping my eye on the
situation around me, a bit fearful of what could happen by means of one wrong
move on my part. I really did not want a
server tripping over me thereby sending his tray flying.
But then it happened.
In fact, it wasn’t even my fault.
Really! I was sitting still talking
to the person next to me. A server was maneuvering behind me with a platter
from which he had just served chicken marsala. The only thing that was left on
the platter was the sauce (or gravy—whatever you call it). Somehow he lost his
balance, tipping the platter, and sending the chicken marsala sauce down the
back of my jacket. Of course, the
napkins came flying out and he, along with others at the table, did their best
to clean me up. No big deal. Things happen.
Life goes on. And, it did. We ate a good meal and heard an inspirational
message.
When it was time to leave, I put on my jacket, left the
hotel, and caught my bus back to New Jersey.
As I was sitting on the bus, however, I realized I was still smelling the
chicken marsala. Then it struck me, the fragrance was coming from me. Yes, I was carrying the fragrance of chicken
marsala to all who were seated around me. Of course, I pretended as if I didn’t
know it was there! But, I did wonder
what others were thinking—and, whether or not anyone was getting hungry because
of it!
The Apostle Paul wrote these words, “But thanks be to God, who always leads us in
triumphal procession in Christ and through us spreads everywhere the
fragrance of the knowledge of him.”
(2 Corinthians 2:14 – NIV) A
couple of verses he writes of us giving off “the
fragrance of life.”
As followers of Jesus, our lives are supposed to give off a
fragrance to the people around us; a fragrance that lets them know that we have
been near Jesus. Our lives are supposed to send out an aroma that speaks to the
fact that we have truly experienced the work of Christ in our lives and that,
that same work of grace is available to them. It ought to be a fragrance that
makes others hungry for the work of God in their lives as well.
I hope I will never again have to ride a bus home smelling
like chicken marsala. But I pray that
those around me will always sense the fragrance of Christ Jesus—his fragrance
of grace and life—coming from me. May
that be the case for those around you as well.
Have a great day!
Pastor Tim Harris
Comments
Post a Comment