I love Christmas--the sights, the sounds, the smells. We're decking the halls, the walls, and the alls, as we do every year, accompanied by carols of old. I get rather nostalgic at Christmas. I cry when I take out special ornaments: gifts from loved ones passed, remembering baby's first Christmas and trips taken over the years. The highlight of my decorating is an outdoor nativity. Not a cheesy plastic light-up one that blows over in the wind: beautiful three-foot resin figures of Joseph and Mary watching over Jesus resting in a manger. A few years ago my husband built a stable for the little family, and we shine a spotlight on it as the centerpiece of our front lawn. We've never won the subdivision decorating contest, but it makes us happy.
Thinking today about the holiday and its wonderful smells brought to mind some research I recently completed. One of the characters in my novel made potpourri for her sister's wedding. You know potpourri...that fragrant flowery hodgepodge people set out in crystal bowls or smooth wooden cradles. You probably even know the word potpourri is French, but do you know the literal translation of the word is "rotten pot?" It's true!
Potpourri is made of a conglomeration of different things: some pretty, some plain, all assembled to bring delightful fragrance into our lives. I found the process of making potpourri interesting and (no surprise if you know me) the natural process of creating the mix an analogy of the way God often works in our lives. I won't expound on every point, but ask you to consider how each step in the process applies to your life situations and spiritual development. So put on your spiritual thinking cap and read on.
Cultivating
One common factor among all the elements used to make potpourri is their origin: all come from living plants--God's creation. Nothing makes itself. Every component is part of God's plan. Before any work begins assembling the mix, lengthy steps are first taken to cultivate, grow, harvest and prepare the elements.
For the purpose of this missive, let's look at rose potpourri. To grow nice roses, the maker spends hours in the hot sun tending plants and running the risk of pricked fingers and dirt (maybe even manure) under fingernails. Pests must be kept under control. Every rose grower knows which bugs are prone to attack their plants and takes steps to ward off destructive insects.
After planting, fertilizing, and pruning, blooms are harvested and preserved. Those maintaining their shape after drying look lovely in the final arrangement, but no buds or petals are wasted.
Drudgery
Although one of potpourri's main ingredients is fragrant flowers, many of the components aren't quite as attractive or sweet smelling on their own. They all, however, serve their purposes: retaining the scent of the oil being prepared by the maker. In addition to flowers, other items such as juniper wood shavings, pine cones, rose hips, cinnamon bark, and orris root are collected. Some components, like orris root, require more effort to gather. This root comes from iris plants and must be excavated from the soil. It's a bit more work than snipping a flower, but the contribution to the pot is worth the effort. Orris root absorbs and retains essential oil in ways flower petals cannot and is a valuable fixative or base ingredient.
Like the commonplace components of potpourri, the common days and experiences of life are the base of reality, the primary ingredient that holds the fragrant memories of special times long after they have passed.
Hot Water
To scent potpourri, the maker prepares rose oil that smells wonderful and is also used as a healing agent. Before the sun rises, an abundance of roses are harvested by hand then put through a cooking process that pulls oil from the petals. The oil floats, then is skimmed off the top. Pounds of rose petals, up to 60,000 roses, are used to make only one ounce of the precious essential oil.
This labor intensive process requires plentiful resources. The yield may seem small, but it is potent. God uses difficulties, times of heat and pressure, to create fragrant, healing oil in our lives.
Shelving & Shaking
After all the ingredients are prepared, they are placed inside an airtight container where they must remain for several weeks. In this closed environment, separate from any outside influence, the elements are shelved and left to mingle and decay.
From time to time, the maker shakes the containers, mixing the contents to assure even distribution of the oil. If a container were to be opened prematurely, the results would be less than pleasing, releasing a rotten smell instead of something lovely. It would be a shame to discard all this work prematurely when just a little more time is required to make something beautiful.
The maker waits until the time is right, when everything is ready, then opens the lid, and sets out the aromatic mix that fills the senses of those around, a sweet smelling blend that perfumes their world.
Just Beautiful!
Like the process of making potpourri, God is at work in our lives. If you're setting out bowls of potpourri this Christmas, or just reminiscing as we so often do during the holidays, tuck this little illustration in your heart. Remember that no matter the season or situations we face, God is with us, making something beautiful. The perfect mix of flowery days, common experiences and trials are being amalgamated into a fragrant potpourri that will bring a sweet smell into the lives of others and create a fragrant offering unto the Lord.
If it seems you're always in hot water...well, that's one way to make sure you're keeping things clean, and the oil will eventually rise to the top if you keep your petals in the kettle. If it seems you're in the middle of a rotten pot, remember that God makes all things beautiful in His time [Ecclesiastes 3:11]. And if you're on the shelf or in the middle of a shaking, remember God knows the perfect timing for your situation. Just as He set the time for His entrance into Bethlehem and prepares to return again, God orders our days and circumstances.
Merry Christmas!
