Miracles

I want to share with you a devotional I read this morning.  It made such an impact on me that I couldn't just keep it to myself!  I have shared from this book with you before- 'Daily Splashes of Joy' by Barbara Johnson and it is just full of such good stuff!

Genesis 27:27  "So Jacob went over and kissed him.  And when Isaac caught the smell of his clothes, he was finally convinced, and he blessed his son.  He said, "Ah! The smell of my son is like the smell of the outdoors, which the Lord has blessed!"

   Smells trigger our memories today, just as they did for Isaac hundreds of years ago.  Smell our wood smoke somewhere, and you may recall a campfire gathering or be transported back in time to a late-autumn day when smoke rose from fireplace chimneys or woodstoves in your neighborhood.  The scent of rubbing alcohol makes us remember childhood shots.  For me, the sweet, old-fashioned perfume of purple lilacs evokes the ghosts of childhood backyards with brick walls and dense shade trees.  And the smell of damp wool will always make me think of wet mittens with icy cuffs, snowballs, and apple-cheeked kids coming in out of the sub-zero cold in my childhood home in Michigan.
   Our ears and noses can teach us as much about life as any book.  Be alert to the smells in the air that can trigger your memories and make you feel alive.

   Albert Einstein said, "There are two ways to live your life.  One as though nothing is a miracle.  The other is as though everything is a miracle."

   Well, what do you think of that?  Did it hit you as hard as it hit me?  Do you have smells that trigger memories for you?  For me- some trigger smells are Elmers glue- brings me back to elementary school, paints- kindergarten, the muggy, cool morning air- early morning walks in Florida while on vacation and the smell of leaves- fall days in MN. 
   I encourage you to take a few moments today to think about what smells do that for you and let them make you feel alive!  Recall some happy childhood memories and live in them, savor them and enjoy them!
   And then take Albert Einstein's words with you: Live as though everything is a miracle!

Take the time to enjoy today!