That Stinks

^“8 We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; ⁹ persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. ¹⁰ We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body.” 2 Corinthians 4:8-10

While sipping on my coffee on Saturday morning, I caught the tail-end of Mike’s Mix, a weekly feature on WCCO in which the morning commentator, Mike, visits local watering holes to sample and learn a variety of drink mixes. 

As the bartender was preparing the featured concoction, he twisted a palm-sized patch of fresh mint from the prolific plant at his elbow, threw it in a mortar, and began smashing and grinding it with a pestle.

“In order to get the best flavor,” he explained, “you have to beat it [mint] up.” The camera then cut to a shot of a green, pulpy mess at the bottom of the glass over which ice and a variety of liquids were promptly deposited.

In order to get the best, the mint leaves had to go through the worst.

The same is true of bananas.  As any baker worthy of the title will tell you, the most flavorful banana bread is made from the most bruised, near-rotten fruit.  As gross as it may sound, if the banana is near the point where you can stick a straw in it and drink it, that banana is at the peak point to be smashed and added to the batter.  That over-ripe banana, which seems too discolored, damaged, nasty and useless, is the perfect ingredient for the best, most delicious sweet bread.

This is good news for those of us who feel bruised, damaged, and useless. . .which means it’s good news for all of us.  As humans, we all feel bruised, damaged and useless at some point in our life journey, and sadly, there are many times when we cause the bruises and damage to others – intentionally and unintentionally.

The good news is that hurts are never wasted.  In our limited human understanding, we often see imperfections and spoilage as the end. But to God, it’s a new beginning, and His beginnings are always far more wonderful and beautiful than we could have ever imagined.  In order to get the best, we have to go through the worst.

But that’s not all.

 “Sometimes God causes severe winds of trial to blow upon His children to develop their gifts. Just as a torch burns more brightly when waved back and forth, and just as a juniper plant smells sweetest when thrown into the flames, so the richest qualities of a Christian often arise under the strong winds of suffering and adversity” (Streams in the Desert).

The stink of our shortcomings and failures often becomes a stench of guilt and shame that isolates us.  We expend a ton of energy in hiding our flaws and worrying about the judgment of others. We clam up when someone asks us how we are and resign ourselves to suffer in silence.  We choose to avoid people because we are afraid that our blemishes and foulness will repulse others. 

Often, the opposite is true.  While no one (I hope) rejoices in the failure of others, everyone is looking for someone who “gets it” – someone who has been there and understands exactly what it feels like, someone who has lived through it, someone who can offer a kind word of encouragement, a shoulder of support, and sometimes, a point in the right direction. 

In short, our stench can be a sweet fragrance of hope to someone who senses none.

Bruising and pain are inevitable consequences of a sin-filled world. This is a certainty for all humans; no one gets a “bye.”  But as the bananas of the world, we can continue to deteriorate and rot alone and in futility, or we can allow God to transform and use our hurt to create something savory and. . . heavenly.

 “Bruised hearts often emit the fragrance that God loves to smell.”