Incense

I have written before that living in this place reminds me so much of how Biblical times were. The animals with their shepherds  the way people dress in the longer robes and head scarves, that a man has to pay dowry to a family for his bride, a lot of traveling is by walking or by donkeys, cooking is done by fire, and husbands commonly have more than one wife ;). This past week we went to our neighbors house so that she could show us how to light the incense  I smell this wonderful perfume scent in the air many times and on different women I pass in town. I learned that sometimes it is used in the home to cover up a bad smell- like from a small baby because diapers are not worn. Mostly though it is used to smell nice for the husband. It sticks the best in hair so my friend held the smoke up to my hair for a minute or so. Then we watched her go around her house, stopping longer at the curtains. It made me think of the many months of beauty treatments that Queen Esther went through. Could some of it been similar to this? The smell is strong and stayed in my skin and hair for a few days. This helped bring these verses to another meaning for me.

"But thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumphal procession in Christ and through us spreads everywhere the fragrance of the knowledge of him. For we are to God the aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing. To the one we are the smell of death; to the other, the fragrance of life. And who is equal to such a task?" 2 Corinthians 2:14-16