Breath of Fresh Air

Last week I happened to catch a segment of Entertainment Tonight. The host, Mary Hart, had the opportunity to meet Prince Charles and Camilla. She was bubbling with excitement as she described the event. She explained that the handlers gave the party-goers a 5 minute warning before the Royals were to arrive. An assistant lined everyone up into two rows, gave instructions about etiquette and passed breath mints out to everyone. Mary said something like, "I guess they wanted us to have fresh breath when being greeted."

Somehow the idea that the Royals only chat with people with fresh breath caught my imagination. I wondered if there were verses on fresh breath. (just curious, you know.) I didn't find any, but I thought about the Royal One in my life - Almighty God - and applied the idea of fresh breath.

Psalm 150:6 says, "Let everything that has breath praise the LORD. Praise the LORD!"

Am I a breath of fresh air when greeting my Father? Is praise continually on my lips?

Psalm 19 paints a vivid picture of creation praising the Lord. The chapter ends with verse 14,

"May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, O LORD, my Rock and my Redeemer."

When I talk with the Lord is the aroma of my greeting a sweet and pleasing praise?

How many times does He have to listen to my skepticism, complaints, doubts, unbelief, and whining! As a mother I know how wearisome it is to hear negativity from my children. How my heart bursts with pride and love when my children are polite, thankful and cheerful!

Our Redeemer, the Royal One of Heaven and Earth, deserves our overflowing praise! I do not want to come into His presence and smell afoul. There is no need. I have only to look to Him and remember all that He has done and praise Him for His mighty works.

I want to live a life of fresh breath.