One of the more unpleasant side effects of my radiation treatment is that I have lost the ability to taste food. (Since I know you will ask, it is expected to correct itself in 3-6 months). Yes, it takes 99% of the joy away from the eating experience but that is not my focus for today. In the absence of being able to taste anything there has been a pronounced increase in one of my other sensory experiences- SMELL.
I smell everything with the clarity that I imagine a bloodhound might. I taught middle school for many years and one of my favorite experiences was the drug dog assembly each fall. No matter how many times I heard the same presentation I was fascinated, each time, by how they explained the canine's sense of smell. Where we as humans, under a normal set of circumstances, might smell Beef Stew- the dog smells the individual components of what's in your crock pot (beef, onion, carrots etc.). Yes I am a nerd. Yes I think that is SO COOL.
This morning all of my people slept in and I had a lovely quiet hour to myself. I made coffee, I cooked bacon, and I baked banana muffins. It was gloriously domestic and "normal". Which is a huge comfort for someone like me who hasn't experienced much "normal" in recent memory. I stepped outside for a few minutes and when I returned to the house I smelled each one of those items in a way that I might not have if my taste buds were functioning right now. Want to know something? Because I let it, the experience of SMELLING those tasty things was almost as good as eating them.
Aren't our bodies amazing? One sense is struggling and another steps up to the plate? My sniffer picked up where my mouth wasn't able to this morning and not only was I able to enjoy the experience but it reopened my eyes to the wonder of what God did when He "...formed the man from the dust of the ground. He breathed the breath of life into the man's nostrils, and the man became a living person." (Genesis 2:7, NLT). In the Psalms King David expressed, beautifully, what I experienced this morning when he said, "Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex. Your workmanship is marvelous- how well I know it." (Psalm 139:14, NLT). Despite a body that is, in many ways, broken- today I was given a practical reminder of the miracle of being alive.
Another thought that came to me as I reflected on this experience was the concept of the body of believers. Each of us has different gifting and things to offer in the kingdom as stated in 1 Peter 4:10 (NLT), "God has given each of you a gift from his great variety of spiritual gifts. Use them well to serve one another." Ephesians 4:16 (NLT) says, "He makes the whole body fit together perfectly, as each part does its own special work, it helps the other parts grow, so that the whole body is healthy and growing and full of love." God designed bodies (both physical and spiritual) to work together for purposes greater than the individual parts. When those parts work together health and growth happen. Scripture also points out that sometimes individual members of the body will gather up some slack so the other parts can grow (sounds kind of like my nose and mouth coordinating this morning, eh?). Ephesians 4:9 (NLT) talks about this when it points out that, "Two people are better off than one, for they can help each other succeed."
Yes, my [physical] body is struggling right now- might be for longer than any of us is comfortable with. But, it is also finding ways to keep going. The stronger parts are filling in for the weak ones. The body of Christ is also rallying at this time in my life. More real, for me, than the physical toll is the mental toll of knowing that some of my "jobs" might be neglected during this time. Guess how many of those things aren't getting done... NONE. I have been surrounded by incredible members of God's body who are stepping up, filling the gaps, making things happen and the experiences are every bit as rich and fulfilling. I am aware that it does not diminish my role/part in the body, but my mind is at ease that while I am temporarily malfunctioning, others are (graciously, joyfully, and willingly) doing their part. The body is still "healthy and growing and full of love." in spite of me. Once again, perspective- it is never all about me!
Never forget, dear friends, that God has designed and gifted you fearfully, wonderfully, and uniquely. These offering are not just for your enjoyment but they bless those around you and, ultimately point back to Him. I am thankful, today, for reminders both practical and metaphorical that there is something bigger to be done and that I get to be a part of it. I am praying the same holds true for you.
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