Stop and Smell The Roses

I have never understood why people smell flowers. They all smell the same, and the scent isn't even that nice. So, I blame my nose and smell them anyway. But… I still don’t enjoy it. I take a step back, when I am overwhelmed with a pleasant aroma of sweet roses.

As I’ve gotten older I’ve noticed this pattern in more than just flowers, but everyday situations.

When we find ourselves in situations we don’t like or one that didn’t go our way, like a breakup for example, we put the blame on someone or something else. “He was a jerk,” “my friends are the reason we aren’t together,” “if we just hadn’t gone out that night.” We’re always pointing a finger for the mishappenings in our life. Justifying the “wrongs” by blaming others gives us satisfaction for a moment. Although, it doesn’t last long before we feel unsatisfied again.

I blamed my nose for not liking the smell of flowers because I had a deviated septum that didn’t allow air in. So, I couldn’t really smell at all. However, I’ve since had corrective surgery and can breath perfectly and it still smells the same. So maybe it has nothing to do with my nose at all and more to do with me. Imagine, if we stopped blaming people and pointed the finger at ourselves. If we took a look at what we might’ve done wrong and acknowledge our shortcomings; our whole perspective could change.

Being honest with yourself is a very scary thing to do. No one wants to admit that they mess up sometimes. However, the more time we take to recognize how we, ourselves can be better the more time we can spend actually smelling the roses and appreciating the beauty that comes from the messes we create.

Everything that happens in our lives happens for a reason. Each event and circumstance comes with a lesson or a beautiful blessing. And it is beautiful; a break up can teach you how to be a better partner in the future, an argument with your mom can teach you the importance of trust, a run in with your boss can equip you to deal with difficult colleagues. However, if not to teach you something, they may bless you too.

A new friend of mine was recently diagnosed with a rare blood disease. It stopped her from doing the one thing that she loved most in the world and it even forced her to move across the country. She was lost and confused. Who wouldn’t be? It doesn’t feel good to have your whole plan mapped out just for it to be erased. We were talking tonight about how things fall into place just as they’re meant to; how we met at church, how we both ended up in the same row three seats apart, how we parked right next to each other, how we both found ourselves in Florida. We were going down the list when I remembered something. She mentioned earlier in the conversation that she just devoted her life to christ this last Sunday. I asked, “if you hadn’t gotten this disease, if you hadn’t moved, if all these things hadn’t fallen into place; would you be saved and going to heaven right now?” We stopped; we smelled the roses, because how sweet is that?

So, stop. Stop worrying, stop being angry, to being unforgiving, stop blaming; and smell the roses because, what’s about to come will be so sweet. That break up might lead you to your husband. This blog might be what pushes you to mend a friendship or reprioritize what’s important to you. The rejection letter might lead you to the perfect school. This, too early in the morning, church service that you don’t want to go to might lead you to Christ. It’s uncomfortable having a positive outlook when the outcome is so unknown. However, when it does come, it is sweeter than any rose.

I always blamed my nose for why I didn’t like the smell. However, I took a step back, I stopped, I changed my attitude. It may not be my nose, it may just be me. How special is it that the earth can produce something so sweet? At first it smells different, and uncomfortable. Of course it will, it's a plant! But, when I changed my perspective, suddenly, with a different attitude I’m able to appreciate what the flowers have offer; sweet rosy scent.