My first time at a Disney theme park was in the summer of 1973.  My family took a vacation to the Florida resort that summer.  It was so exciting, as we rode the monorail from the parking area to the main entrance, the recorded voice welcoming us to the park and giving instructions.  As our train passed through the lobby of the Contemporary Resort Hotel, I was in awe of all that I was experiencing...and I wasn't even inside the theme park yet!

On that trip, and a subsequent one years later, we enjoyed experiences there that were mesmerizing to me as a kid, and even intriguing as an adult.  Experiences like Space Mountain, The Haunted Mansion and Star Tours, were amazing.  It truly does feel like a magical place.

Last Sunday, as my wife and I were returning home from church and having lunch with friends, I did something I seldom do on a Sunday afternoon.  I set my GPS to lead us home.  We were on the east side the city, and we live on the northwest side.  Sometimes interstates can get backed up on Sundays, with summer travelers either heading out for their week of vacation, or going back home.  So, I thought Siri would make sure I detoured any standstill traffic and get us home more quickly.  About an hour and fifteen minutes later, we were finally arriving at our front door...a trip that typically takes about thirty minutes.  The kicker was, there were no traffic jams or heavy-traffic slow-downs.  Apparently, I had accidentally set the maps app to avoid highways.  I think we explored every back road and country avenue there was between Old Hickory and Ashland City.  We saw countryside we had never seen before.  What should have been about a thirty-minute trip, ended up being 1 1/2 times longer.  A GPS navigation device can be a helpful tool...as a matter of fact, I have become accustomed to using them extensively in my day-to-day work as well as any road trip we take.  I follow the directions without much thought, unlike the days when I had to read a paper roadmap.  As you can see, sometimes that can be a problem.  As a matter of fact, it could be dangerous, if one doesn't remain alert.  On at least two occasions, while traveling, I have had the GPS navigation device tell me to go the wrong way on a one-way street.  As much as we rely upon navigation technology, we need to be intentional and alert in order to stay on the right path...the one that gets us to where we need to be.

A few years ago, I was taking a long run through the little Arkansas town in which we lived.  I was running a route through a neighborhood I had passed through many times on my runs.  On this particular day, as I listened to my running playlist on my earbuds, pacing my breathing with each stride, I was enjoying the beautiful weather of the day, the sunshine and the light breeze that was blowing.  Just as I passed behind Sequoyah Elementary School, at the intersection of Sequoyah Way and Neptune Drive, I was suddenly inundated with a childhood memory and emotion.  It wasn't something I saw or a sound that I heard.  I wasn't reminiscing about days gone by.  This sudden experience of nostalgia, memory and emotion, came as the result of a smell...yes...a simple odor.  That gentle breeze wafted across my path, brining with it the smell of the pine thicket bordering the street.  I immediately looked to my right, seeing the pine trees, with the ground covered by a brown carpet of fallen pine needles.  In this moment, I was taken back to my elementary school days on the playground behind King Springs Elementary School, in my hometown. I remembered the pine thicket that was a part of that playground and, upon which I had spent many hours playing with my classmates during our daily recess.  It was a powerful moment as that smell triggered such vivid memories and happy emotions about those childhood experiences.

The Power of Olfactory Memory

Olfactory memory is memory that is triggered by smells from past experiences.  It is said to be one of the most powerful of memory triggers.  The reason is easy to explain.  In the brain, the senses of sight, sound, and taste go to the thalamus, which is the relay center of the brain. The thalamus sends these messages to the various centers of the brain, including the amygdala (responsible for processing emotion) and the hippocampus (responsible for memory).  However, when we experience the sense of smell, the signal bypasses the thalamus and goes to the olfactory bulb, which is directly connected to the amygdala and hippocampus.  There is no slow down or filtering by the thalamus.  This explains why smells can trigger very strong memories and associated emotions.  This is why certain aromas at Christmas are so meaningful to us due to being connected with pleasant experiences of our childhood, or, why a widow may sleep with the shirt of her late husband for months after his passing, or a mother becomes nostalgic and wistful when she smells the familiar fragrance of the baby lotion she used when her child was an infant.  Olfactory memory is a powerful influence.

The Power of Christ-like Fragrances

It is no coincident that this is the very imagery that God inspired the Apostle Paul to write about as he described our lives as followers of Christ in the letter to the Corinthian church.

Have you ever considered yourself a perfume?  A fragrant aroma?  As a follower of Christ, that is exactly what you are...or should be.  Think about the significance of these words that describe us as a "Christ-like fragrance."

1. We are captivated by the love of God and redemption of Christ - Like a victorious king returning from battle, and his captives following along behind him in procession, Jesus has redeemed us and rescued us from the kingdom of darkness, giving us new life and eternal reward.  It is as though we are now a part of that triumphal procession of captives who give witness to the wonderful salvation that comes in Him.
2. We become a pleasant aroma of Christ among others in the world - Wherever we go, as those who have been redeemed by the victorious gospel of Christ, we spread the good news of the knowledge of Christ…like a sweet perfume.  Our lives are like a sweet, pleasing aroma that arises to God the Father, much in the same way that the Old Testament speaks of the “pleasing aroma” of the sacrifice that was offered on the alter in worship to Him.  That fragrance pleases God and it impacts those around us.
3. We can’t control how others will perceive our fragrance - The Apostle Paul pointed out that we cannot determine how others will perceive or receive the aroma of Christ upon our lives. All we can do is make sure we are exuding that aroma as purely and profusely as possible.  Some will receive it with gladness as they are receiving the life-giving power of Christ.  Others will be reminded of the dreaded wrath to come, but they will refuse to accept the offered remedy for the pending judgment.  The weight lies upon the individual, our responsibility lies in being an aroma of Christ.
4. We have only to be true to the gospel and the power of God - You may be familiar with the story Jesus told of “The Sower and the Soils” (Matthew 13:1-23).  It speaks of a person who sowed seed with the anticipation that, from it, plants would emerge.  Jesus described four types of soil upon which the seed fell…hard soil, rocky soil, soil containing weeds and fertile soil.  In each of soil contexts, the seed had various levels of productivity.  All, except the fertile soil, failed to produce a successful crop.  It was only the fertile soil that produced the anticipated crop of plants.  Even that soil, as Jesus explained, produced varying harvests…100 times, 60 times or 30 times, what was sown.  There was nothing wrong with the seed…there is nothing wrong with the gospel.  It will always depend upon the heart of the receiver.  It comes down to the openness of the individual to hear, believe and receive.  The power of God’s Spirit works to draw each one to Himself.  We are called to be an aroma of Christ and leave the rest to God.

​Our Purpose and Influence for the Gospel

On this week's Purposed365 Podcast, Jasman Rolle interviews musician, community youth worker and entrepreneur, Ronald Morrell, Jr. (listen here).  Morrell shares about his journey of ministry and purpose through music, church, working with youth and starting and growing a business.  He touches on...

• Blank canvas - look for places and ways to pursue your purpose where it can make the most impact and provide something that a community lacks.  God may open unseen opportunities for His glory in unexpected places.
• How you can impact the next generation - always consider how God can use you to make a difference in the next generation.  Your purpose should leave a legacy that outlives you and extends the power of the gospel for generations to come.
• “God has called me to destroy walls and build bridges…” Ronald Morrell, Jr. - Ask yourself, "How can I fulfill my purpose in ways that break down walls and build bridges?"  Morrell says that doing so will "bring God's will on earth as it is in heaven."
• “Faith and Entrepreneurship” - living one's faith and making a living does not have to be two separate things...it actually shouldn't be.
• The Spirit in us impacts those around us - when the presence of Christ is in us, it will overflow into the lives of those around us, to make a lasting impact.
• Give back to the community…pour into the lives of children/youth - as we pursue our purpose in life, make a living, and build a life, never forget where you came from.  Never forget to pour into the community in which you live.  Always look for ways to invest in others...especially the next generation.
• Open their eyes to the possibilities - point youth to the real possibilities that lie before them.  While many youth, particularly those of color, think that professional sports or illicit drug dealing may be their only ways to be successful, we need to be voices that tell them there are opportunities that they are capable of pursuing, and that they can do whatever is required to make something great of their lives. 
• Success = “Hittin’ on the 1”  - the 1 beat is the most important in a musical composition enabling a band to play together successfully. Hitting on the 1 is how everyone in the band makes sure they are on beat.  If they don't, the song is going to become chaotic and sound terrible.  In life, we want to make sure we are "hittin' on the 1," which means making sure our priority is God's priority.  As Matthew 6:33 tells us, "Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added unto you."

Sniff Test

The question we need to ask ourselves is..."How do I smell?"  We can do a lot to try to smell good...put on lots of cologne, make sure we use deodorant, or just stand downwind from others (haha).  However, those efforts only cover up the real odor, or try to redirect it.  If we are living in purpose that is centered upon a vibrant relationship with Jesus Christ...our Redeemer and King...His Spirit within us will produce an aroma that is pleasing to the Father and will waft over those around us.  That aroma will trigger a response that can open the door to their entry into eternal life...making you a fragrant reminder.

Long before it was an American hit sitcom, or a rap music group, the term "arrested development" was used to describe a condition in which the individual ceases normal psychological development (or is stuck in a particular psychological development stage) due to trauma, lacking some aspect of nurturance, or a chemical addiction.  Though no longer used in that manner among psychological professionals, the concept crossed my mind as I thought about the topic of this post.   I thought of it as a play on words, but nevertheless, to drive home a point.

In an earlier post, I wrote about the importance of the rhythms of life.  The final point of that post was the importance of the "Rhythm of Rest and Self-Care."  As we consider the drive of living our purpose in life, one of the first considerations is not usually taking a rest.  Understandably, our drive and desire to live purposefully may also be a drive to think only of activity and neglect the balance that our lives need.  How may our development of a purposeful life be arrested if we neglect our rest?

• Physical decline - bodies require sufficient rest to refuel, restore and heal.  Neglect of rest will compromise our health.  If we are tempted to seek self-satisfaction, praise from others or even thinking that we are pleasing God, by relentlessly pushing the envelope of physical and mental functioning, we will eventually fail to be of usefulness to anyone.
• Mental confusion - our minds are effected by our physical condition.  A lack of rest causes foggy thinking.  If you've ever driven on a road trip when you are exhausted, you know how easy it is to become confused and even disoriented from fatigue.  If we are not at our best, with the rest our bodies need, we can't hope to do our best at fulfilling our purpose in life.
• Irritability - a child lets you know when she is tired...it is usually through being fussy or crying.  As adults, we tend to do the same thing, only in slightly different ways.  We become irritable, cranky...we can become unkind and often act in selfish ways.  Depriving ourselves of needed rest makes it difficult to manage our relationships, responsibilities and rationale in ways that reflect the heart of Christ.

Jesus gave us the example of a balanced life.  He was fully committed to His purpose...the most important mission in all the world.  He led a very busy life of ministry leading up to His ultimate sacrifice as Messiah.  Yet, he always made sure to find time for rest and for solitude.  When God set the example for us in His acts of creation, he established the Sabbath rest.  The regular rhythm of rest is what we need...God knows that.

The Apostle Peter reminds us that a relationship with Jesus actually promotes rest...for the soul.

Jesus put it this way...

So...what does rest look like for you...daily rest, weekly rest, times of retreat and solitude?  These are all important in the rhythm of life.  Rest can include many things...each person is unique in how they find rest and refreshment.  Think about what it is that is life-giving for you.  What is it that, when you have engaged it, you emerge energized, fulfilled and prepared for the challenges of life?  Consider some suggestions:

• Time alone to read and meditate
• A walk in the forest
• Sitting on the beach and listening to the sound of the waves
• Exercising or a run
• Sleeping late or getting to bed early
• Listening to your favorite music
• Private worship
• Star gazing on a clear night
• Working on a craft or hobby
• A chat with a friend
• A morning swim
• A weekend at a cabin

Whatever fits you best, it should be something you plan into your life with intentionality...and it may be a combination of things.  Life has a way of taking over if we let it.  Even the work and purpose we love, if not in balance, can become the very thing that undermines our health and wellbeing.  It shouldn't be that way...it doesn't have to be that way.  I applaud churches and ministries who recognize this and build into the job description of their leaders, sabbaticals.  If you find it nearly impossible to take rest, ask yourself, "Why?"  Consider if you are trying to prove something...to yourself, to others...to God.  Remember, we are not in a performance-based relationship with our Redeemer.

Universal Elements of Rest
For the follower of Christ, there are some elements of rest that can be incorporated into any rest experience we find rejuvenating.  Consider how these fit your unique choices.

1. Reflection - thinking about life, our journey, our relationships, our connection with our God.  This may seem like a chore, but, in the rest environment, reflection can help us sort out the things that may steal our peace and rest.
2. Prayer - this seems to be cliché,  but it is anything but.  In our rest, we must commune with the One who gives us rest.  His "yoke is easy and His burden is light."
3. Solitude - not that all of our resting must be done in solitude, but, it is important that we allow ourselves to have such times in order to be able to incorporate items 1 and 2.  There is something good about being able to be alone in peace...and being alone in peace.
4. Nature - this one may be debatable, but I am a pretty firm believer in the power of connection with God's creation as a healing and refreshing experience.  If you can incorporate surrounding yourself with the beauty and sounds of creation, you will enhance your rest tremendously.

So, there you have it...my thoughts on the importance of incorporating rest into your life.  God, the Father, instructed it; Jesus, His Son, modeled it; and, through His Spirit, enables it.  Now, it is our responsibility to plan it.  If you do, you will find "a rested development" of a well-balanced life.