“If you were not strangers here the dogs of the world would not bark at you.”
– Samuel Rutherford

Boy, if that isn’t a vivid word picture of how our lives here should be. An interesting extension on that comes from the fact that one of our two greyhounds will bark at things on the other side of the fence also out of excitement. Yet the key thing is that whatever it is on the other side of the fence stands out and is noticeable. People will “bark” at us because as children of Christ our aroma is different. Not always a bad aroma, but a different one. I need to remember that I was not created to be like any other person that has walked this earth. I am unique and so my fragrance.

My mind goes back to one of Apple computers old ad campaigns that was “think different.” Hmm. Wonder if each child of God shouldn’t have a shirt that says “smell different.” After all, thinking different is one thing, but I can think about a lot of things that no one else will ever notice. But isn’t it smell that our memory holds on to tightest?

The next time a dog barks at you, smile.