Fragrant Authenticity of Word Offerings

Fragrant Authenticity of Word-Offerings

by Tina Yeager

“… God uses us to spread his knowledge everywhere like a sweet-smelling perfume. Our offering to God is to be the perfume of Christ that goes out to those who are being saved and to those who are being lost”

(2 Corinthians 2:14-15, ERV).

 

I gazed at the elegant apothecary jars lining the fragrance counter. The consultant lifted the essence-blend preferred by the Duchess of York. Wearing her perfume would empower me to leave a royal impression upon the senses of all I encountered. So of course, I tried her product. I dabbed liberal portions on my neck and wrists.

I strode into the Galleria Mall with my chin leveled as if trained for balancing a tiara. Passers-by should experience a wake of intoxicating and regal awe. A few shopping aisles later, a throat-clearing cough shattered my delusion.

“What is that smell? Is that …” My husband’s pinched expression as he scanned my sprayed skin left no room for denial that I maintained no royal airs about me.

A sniff at my wrist invited a full assault on my senses. Powdery, geriatric odors attacked through the nostrils to explode in my throat. I gagged and searched the hall for a “throne room” where I could wash the foreign fumes from my skin.

I imagine the perfume smells regal on the Duchess. But she and I differ by design. The Creator sculpted us as vessels with unique chemistry and purposes. My attempt to wear another person’s fragrance failed to leave a graceful impression.

I once longed to emulate successful Christian authors. I wished for Max Lucado’s honey-smooth eloquence. My heart ached to offer the cocoa-like intoxication of Tosca Lee’s lyrical prose. For my words to refreshen souls, shouldn’t I write more like those whom Lifeway seems to have crowned as the queens of Bible study?

Though I learned craft and character from successful wordsmiths, I soon discovered I could not carry off the writing styles of other authors. The Lord commissions each royal ambassador to deliver a signature fragrance no one else bears the same way. My Father crafted and positioned me as a unique word-vessel, designed to share his essence with authenticity.

As I infuse my skin with ginger, lemongrass, or hints of lavender in alignment with my design, I retain my signature voice in the messages I share. May his sweet perfume exude blessings to linger with all those who encounter my genuine words.

Lord, thank you for investing a unique voice in my writing. Guide me to align my words and life with your Holy Spirit. Let your fragrance pour forth from me as an offering to honor you and bless the world. Amen.

 

Award-winning author, speaker, LMHC, and life coach, Tina hosts the Flourish-Meant podcast and a YouTube channel. She serves as head mentor with Word Weavers International. Beautiful Warrior, her book on women’s esteem is available through New Hope Publishers. Look for Upcycled: Crafted for a Purpose from Bold Vision Books. To connect with her, visit tinayeager.com.