In our Wednesday night study, we’ve been talking about how Paul could be so full of anxiety that he would actually pass by an open door for the gospel that the Lord created for him, and yet turn around in the next breath and say, “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.” (2 Corinthians 2:12-14)

How do you do that, if it isn’t that the fragrance goes with us regardless?

Not to belabor the point, but Marti has another story from her flight attendant days that illustrates this so well. It’s actually the story of how she came to know the Lord.

It seems that one September Marti’s birthday came and she was not well, so she stayed back from flying her scheduled trip. Her roommates, also flight attendants, felt sorry about leaving her alone on her birthday, and when they met a very lively attractive single man on their trip home, they hatched a plan to surprise her. They convinced the guy to come with them, wrapped him up in a big bow, and presented him to Marti as her birthday present. Of course it was all a joke to begin with, but it turned into a real relationship.

What Marti didn’t find out until later was the fact that this guy was a Christian – living somewhat like a prodigal at the time – but still a Christian. And she found this out through his library. Hanging out in his apartment while he was at work, she found that his library was full of Christian books. Had they been all about baseball, she says, she would have read them just the same, but they were about the Lord; and one of them, Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis turned out to be her ticket into a relationship with God. And it wasn’t long until her newfound faith brought her boyfriend back to where he needed to be.

Now the Old Covenant would jump all over this guy for living in disobedience, but the New Covenant found a way to use him anyway. The fragrance was still there in his life. In his books, perhaps, but nonetheless present and usable by God.

So Paul #1 was anxious in his spirit missing an opportunity to spread the gospel, and Paul #2 was on vacation from his faith and yet the Lord was strangely leading them both and manifesting the fragrance of Christ in them nonetheless.

Which would explain why today, the dishwasher broke, the coffee pot broke, the Waterpik broke, my favorite coffee mug broke, and Chandler got sent home from science camp. But… (and you should know by now what’s coming)… “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.”