Marlboros, Camels and closed in spaces

 

I was travelling with two of my granddaughters Friday afternoon and from the backseat came many giggles and outright laughter. It was the polar opposite of the normal sounds in my car when I drive. 

"Um, grandma, when are we going to stop at a bathroom?" (An hour into a 2 1/2 hour drive, and we went to the bathroom before we left our pick up stop.)

"As soon as I find somewhere to stop, we will." (As an older, more seasoned traveller I understand how uncomfortable it is to have to empty your bladder and how miserable it can be for everyone around you when you have to keep asking because the driver doesn't want to stop.)

A Valero gas station was hidden up on a bank and I made a left turn into the lot. I detected  much relief from both youngsters when they realized where we were.

Walking into that station was like walking back into time. The slight haze and smell originating from cigarette smoke transported me immediately to my childhood. To my dad's gas station or anytime we gathered with his friends or family. The people behind the counter reminded me of the adults I grew up around. I almost pinched myself to make sure I wasn't dreaming.

Today was a vivid reminder of the power of scent to bring the past very much into the present. It has me thinking about 2 Corinthians 2:14:

"But thanks be to God, who in Christ always leads us in triumphal procession, and through us spreads the fragrance of the knowledge of him everywhere."

Oh how I pray that when people get a whiff of something that reminds them of me that it is a pleasant reminder of Jesus' love for them.