Appearances can be deceiving…

There are some trees in my neighborhood that bloom every spring. I am not an arborist, so I may be wrong, but I think they are dogwood trees. (I had a picture to post, but it is not loading for some reason, sorry.) These are some beautiful trees when they are full of blooms – white (or pink) and fluffy and a true sign that spring has sprung and warmer weather is on the way.

BUT THEY STINK TO HIGH HEAVEN!!!

Today I took a quick walk around the neighborhood because my doctor is making me exercise (again). For better health and in order to get my out-of-control diabetes back under some control, he has asked / pleaded / begged that I TRY to get in 30 minutes a day, at least 3 times a week. So, one foot in front of the other, I got up this morning, put on sweats and sneaks, and walked out the door, down the driveway and down the street – only to be assailed by this … smell. It’s not overwhelming, but it’s just a scent that makes you go “did someone just pass gas?” or makes you want to check the bottom of your shoe to make sure you didn’t step in anything (you know what I’m talking about!). It wasn’t until I was right up under one of the trees that I realized where the smell was coming from. Yuck, so pretty…so stinky.

When I was a little girl, my mother used to always admonish me “Pretty is as pretty does.” This was usually immediately after someone had just said to me, “Oh what a pretty little girl” – I guess she was keeping me grounded. (It worked. To this day, I do not receive compliments without hearing that admonishment ringing in my head). We all know beautiful people with stinky attitudes that we don’t think are that beautiful once we get to know them – and vice versa, some “physically unattractive” people become beautiful in our eyes because of their personalities, attitudes and behaviors.

I wonder how many times God looks at us and thinks “Beautiful but stinky” because we don’t follow His Word or listen to His instructions for our lives. It is my goal to be the type of person that when He looks at me, the outside matches the inside - and the scent is a pleasant fragrance in His nose.

Be blessed.

© 2010 Kristina E. Smith
Wednesday, 24 March, 2010