A Message of Inspiration From the Author of Living Loved, January 5, 2025
Hey friends!! So my trash can is at the end of my driveway so I usually throw the bag on my golf cart and shuttle it down there. This morning as I was driving down the driveway, I could smell the trash and an odd hint of trash scented lemon?! Someone thought it would be a great idea to SCENT trash bags as if to “disguise” the smell of the trash to lemon?! What were they thinking?!? Now I had smelly trash that had a hint of lemon to it, but did nothing but confuse my nose.
Now you may be wondering why I’m sharing this with you. Well, as I hit the end of the driveway and put my trash in the can, it really hit me. See, we do that with people sometimes. Sometimes people are just ugly, nasty humans and we try so hard to do everything we can to make them “appear” less ugly and nasty. Sometimes friend, sometimes, you just have to remove them from your life and walk away. Because trash is trash and people are people. You can’t change them no matter what you do, just like you can’t make trash smell like lemons no matter how much scent you throw on the bag. The ONLY thing that can truly change a person, is JESUS. And people have to choose that for themselves!
Friend, let it go. Let the Lord do what the Lord can and stop trying to “lemon scent” people!
And one more thing, friends, we too are like this smelly bag of trash sometimes and we try to cover our sins with “lemon scent” by acting holy and acting righteous and acting the part, but really; we are just a “smelly bag of trash” without Jesus!! He is the cure for our stink (sin)! You are so loved!!
Friends, in this new year, let’s get rid of the sin that so easily entangles us and stinks up our lives! Let’s get rid of the stinking thinking, the stinky attitude, and Let’s walk in the fullness of Gods grace and mercies. And may our worship be a sweet aroma to Him as we worship Him in a new way!! You are so loved friends!! Live LOVED and LIVE TO LOVE!
Matthew 23:28 Outwardly you look like righteous people, but inwardly your hearts are filled with hypocrisy and lawlessness.
Hebrews 12:1 Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us.
2 Corinthians 2:15-16
[15] Our lives are a Christ-like fragrance rising up to God. But this fragrance is perceived differently by those who are being saved and by those who are perishing. [16] To those who are perishing, we are a dreadful smell of death and doom. But to those who are being saved, we are a life-giving perfume. And who is adequate for such a task as this?
About the author
Tracy Kelley is a follower of Jesus, mother, grandmother, author and speaker, living in Sulphur Springs, TX. She is the author of the book Living Loved, Learning to Live in the Fullness of Gods Love, where she shares encouragement from her daily journey and how God has shown His love to her through various trials. You can buy her book, find events, book her for your event, and follow her by going to her Facebook page, where you will always be greeted as friend! You can purchase her book at Good News Book Store in Sulphur Springs, TX; online at Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and most other major retailers.
