Sandalwood

Psalm 143:5 -- "I remember the days of long ago; I meditate on all your works and consider what your hands have done."

There is an intimacy I find soothing when my hand-crafted soap is nearly done - churning away in my old pot on the stove - and I've developed perfect trace. Now, it's time for the fun part. From a recipe that I've scribbled into a notebook, I choose the fragrant oils and herbs and begin to gently mix them into what will become a batch of five ounce bath bars.

The moment the oils go into the pot I think of my Grandmother, Margaret Babb. It's the Sandalwood. Every single time I smell it I remember the way she would talk to me while she sat in her special powder room hidden away in a cubby that set off from her master bedroom. She once told me that a girl needs a powder room, not just a bathroom. It was important.

As I looked around her carefully decorated hide-away I saw all the little details she'd put into her space. The silver mirrored tray that housed her brush. Perfume bottles. The old blue chaise framed in mahogany and the little stool on which she would sit while she looked into the mirror and fussed with her hair and make-up. I remember her voice. And I'll always remember the smell of Sandalwood.

I smile to myself as I pour my soap into the mold, a small barely noticeable upturn of the corners of my mouth - the one that is reserved for Margaret Babb - the one that automatically forms when I smell Sandalwood. It makes me miss her, yes - but it never fails to remind me of the joy I had in knowing her.

What triggers your favorite memories? They say that smell is the one sense tied most strongly to memory. It seems to be true in my life. While Sandalwood makes me think of Mamaw, Tommy Girl makes me think of my honeymoon in Williamsburg Virginia, and Cranberry Pine makes me think of Christmas.

While we don't have a smell that can trigger a personal memory of God or our Savior, Jesus Christ - we DO have The Word. We have the smell of wet earth after a rain storm. Or the salt in the air off the ocean. We have the wonderful aroma of spring when the orange blossoms are at full bloom and the magnolias open up their large petals. We have the smell of smoke laden chimneys when it's cold outside and the mouth watering aroma of a fresh cooked turkey at Thanksgiving.

The cool thing is EVERYTHING can trigger a reminder of God's handiwork. He's all around us.

Now THAT is something to bring a smile to your lips.