Hope’s aroma

I attended seminary as an adult, even as a grandmother. One required essay was on “hope” and even knowing what it is, I still didn’t have any idea how to illustrate it, particularly because the biblical idea of hope is not the same as the ordinary idea of “I hope so” that has no assurance.

However, the Bible college that I drove to every morning was, among other things, well-known for its cinnamon buns. When I pulled into the parking lot, I could not see them, but I could smell them. I did not have one in my hand, but I knew they were there. Because I had the right change in my pocket, I was certain that I would soon bite into one and enjoy the full promise made by that incredible aroma.

Romans 8:23-25 says, “Not only that, but we also who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, eagerly waiting for the adoption, the redemption of our body. For we were saved in this hope, but hope that is seen is not hope; for why does one still hope for what he sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, we eagerly wait for it with perseverance.”

God promises that I will live with Him forever. He gave me the aroma of that promise by giving me the Holy Spirit. My assurance is based on evidence that I cannot see, yet the sweet aroma of His presence in my life makes my hope as sure and secure as if I could see Him.

God promises that my body will be transformed. When I look in the mirror, all I see is the ageing process and a need to stay away from sweets (including cinnamon buns) and keep eating my veggies. Yet the sweet aroma of Christ guarantees my hope. I know that what He promises will come to pass, not because I can see the “after” picture compared to the “before,” but because He has given me that sweet smell, a taste of what it is like to live with God.

This hope is so wonderful that my focus is on it most of the time. Knowing He is here right now saves me from sorrow and despondency. It saves me from turning away from Jesus, and from looking anywhere else in this world for what I want and need. This hope keeps me from getting too comfortable in this world, for it will pass away and cannot offer me anything that lasts like God lasts. Of course the marvel of a perfect cinnamon bun is merely an analogy.

This passage tells me to eagerly wait for the fulfilment of this hope, and adds that I must wait with perseverance. This is a bit like that eager walk from the parking lot to the coffee shop during a prairie snowstorm. More than once, hope presented as a sweet aroma lured me, pulled me out of the safety and comfort of my vehicle and kept me moving toward the reality beyond the promise.

Hope in what God has promised does the same. Sometimes He asks me to step out of my comfort zone, or walk through dangerous or frightening situations, but the lure of one day being perfectly like Him and being forever in His presence is an incredible grace, and by this grace, I can wait patiently for that which I cannot see . . . but I can smell it!