Advent ~ Layers of Fragrance

Advent ~ Layers of Fragrance

It seems when an idea comes that I feel I should follow-up on, then I see things that I might not ordinarily see. This was one of them. When I see them, I also get an idea at the same time, which is why I take the picture. Here’s todays:

I know you have had the experience of an onion sitting in a bowel or basket in your kitchen, and you don’t smell it just sitting there. But, if you start pulling off the layers of the onion, or cut off the end, the fragrance fills the air and can even make you cry. But it doesn’t happen until you start to work with the onion.

Just as this pine cone ornament has layers that make up the pine cone, so Advent has layers of the fragrance of Christmas. A pine cone has fragrance that comes from the inside out. This reminds me of the fragrance of Christmas. There are layers of Advent, such as, what we see…lights, gift ideas in windows, busy people, candle light, nativity scenes and Christmas Trees. Then we have the smells of Christmas… pine and spruce, hot chocolate or cider, and baking of cookies and goodies. But the deeper fragrance for a lot of us, is the peace that Jesus brings to Christmas. He came to this world with the smell of hay and animals around Him in the barn, and the visits of the wise men bringing gold and frankincense and myrrh. The layers of simplicity and yet the many layers of complexity that He would surround His birth. We are still learning about the layers of God and His love for us as He sent His Son to earth. If we focus on the real meaning and fragrance of this Season, we can enjoy the simplicity of loving each other and being together.

We are like that pine cone. We might need to shed some of our outer layers of experience and hurts, in order to let the real fragrance come out in us. The pine cone becomes much more fragrant once it is off the tree and comes in to the warmth. Allow God to work and peel off some of the layers, so that, we can be fragrant and reflect the joy and peace He wants to give us. On that starry night, his messages was, “Peace on earth, good will to men!”

Let there be peace on earth, and let it begin with me…