Ephesians 5:2 (New King James Version)
2 And walk in love, as Christ also has loved us and given Himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling aroma.
I absolutely LOVE the smell of spices, but especially cinnamon, cloves and all of those great "Christmasy" spices that make it holiday time. What's even better is making a fun craft with my niece and nephews. I had a great time with them last year during Thanksgiving. We did a craft project on Thanksgiving day and made some "apple turkeys" . They were SO cute! But, this year, I thought it would be fun to make something new. It didn't take me long to think about what would be fun for them to do while making something decorative that everyone can enjoy. SOOOOO, pomanders it will be! I remember that my grandmother always loved pomanders. I wish that she could be here to make them with the children...she would have been right in the middle of all of the festivities!
So this year, we're going for the sweet smelling craft. I think that their smell is so yummy and I love how they look all piled up in a bowl. It will be a lot of fun but I always love to have the opportunity to teach them something at the same time. There is a history lesson in the pomander, but I think that there is a biblical application as well. Pomanders were carried by the ladies in the 15th century. They would wrap them in handkerchiefs and carry them while they were walking along the streets. To prevent smelling the rancid smells of the streets in the town, they would hold them to their noses and sniff the pomander ball instead. From the biblical perspective, I think that the story of the pomander could be a very practical reminder to us as Christians. I think that the smells that the women in the 15th century were trying to avoid represent our sin in the nostrils of our Lord. And the pomander ball is the sweet smelling aroma that we bring to the Lord when we walk in love. I pray that I would bring a sweet smelling aroma to my Lord and that I would be reminded of the story of the pomander ball on a daily basis. I don't want to be the cause of a stench in the presence of the Lord Jesus Christ.
What crafts will you do this Thanksgiving?
