A storm blew through town, and many people’s electricity was out, including mine. I was ready with a powerful lantern, fully charged phone USB charger, and candles—lots of them. The only issue with my candles is they are well-scented. I keep my candle stash well stocked. I like fresh scents that aren’t flowery; lemon verbena and other citrus, linen, and eucalyptus mint are my favorites. I usually only have one candle burning in my house at a time. So, choosing the best combination throughout my house without getting overwhelmed was challenging. Fortunately, it was cool enough, I could open a few windows. Also fortunately, my electricity was restored less than five hours after I got home and lit those candles.
But for that few hours, my house smelled like Candleland.
It wasn’t a bad smell. It was just a lot. They were all my favorites, but not specifically any one of my favorites. I was thankful for the light, which typically wasn’t my main purpose for candles. The power outage wasn’t planned. The need for many candles at once wasn’t planned. The use of many candles and scents wasn’t planned. Yet I was thankful for it all. I was thankful I’d stocked quite a few and could choose the most complementary scents possible. I was thankful for cool weather after the storm. I was thankful to sit in Candleland in the comfort of my home instead of dealing with property damage after dark.
God often provides in abundance. The question is whether we’re willing to consider the creativity and possibilities involved. How well do we filter it all with both reality and gratitude?
Pure Purpose 