(a four minute read) So here’s another true story. I just returned from a quicktrip…… no, no, not the gas station, an actual trip that was quick. I was in Dubai for two days. 14.5 hours flight from Dubai to Chicago, I tell you it seemed like days upon days of flying. Anyway, I digress, as you well know.

So here I am on day two, riding the metro, roughly a 35 minute ride. Although I was seated for the first few minutes, I got up and held onto one of those hand hang down things. Why I stood up is a whole different story by itself that I may share at a later time. Not sure what the name of these hand grabbers is, but whatever it is, you know your armpit is hanging in the air. I am a sweaty kind of person and always self-conscious about if I smell or not. A quick nonchalant whiff allowed me to smile and heard my inner self say, “you’re good.”

A few minutes later, as we approached a station, I saw quite a crowded platform, and here goes my inner self again, “man I wish I could have just stayed seated.” Wishful thinking I guess. A young gentleman squeezed next to me and raised his arm to grab one of them grabby things. Yep, you guessed it. If I could scream out loud and not embarrass myself or this gentleman, maybe it would have eased the pain my nostrils experienced. The problem is there is nowhere to go. I am stuck my friend.

My inner self is now having the rampage that I could only hope to have publicly. Here are some of these inner LOUD voices. Don’t judge me now. “Why don’t you people bathe. How can you people not smell yourselves. Deodorants are cheap you know. You should hide behind a rock and never come out. Stop rubbing that armpit in my face. Go back to where you came from.”

Then, as if someone slapped me across the face. I mean a full swing slap. The words of Debra Hirsch at a conference I attended just the day before I left to Dubai came pouring down on me, like that hot oil you see poured from atop a castle on intruders. Paraphrased it was something like this, “Think of this person that repulses you, the person that you see walk into your church and your jaw drops and makes your eyes as wide as an ocean. All you see is the ‘bad’ things about them. This person is still made in the image of GOD. Work hard to look past what repulses you and see the image of God that can someday come shining out of this person.” I tell you my friend I squirmed as I stood there from that hot oil.

“How the heck am I to tolerate this smell? It’s pungent.” I protested internally. Then I heard Debra say, “We typically want a person to repent first then we accept them, yet God accepts us first then waits for us to repent. We should do likewise”. Thank you Debra as these words exemplified our Lord in a clear, pure and concise picture. Do Likewise is the greatest commandment.

Although I knew nothing about this gentleman, what I know happened is that my hatred was somehow transformed to love. My anger and rage somehow transformed to peace. My exclusion somehow transformed to inclusion. You know what, I take back the ‘somehow’………….. It is our Creators LOVE, our Lord’s example here on earth that took out how this smell affected me. It reminded me of the words that I hear my wife always say, “You cannot love that which you judge.” Forgive me my dear if I messed it up.

I share this story with you with all the humility in the world, and with complete GLORY to God and copious thanks to the Lord for allowing me to see the image of God in this person.

You know for all I know, this person may have been internally screaming to himself, “How can these people not allow the natural smell of God permeate through the Lord’s creation. After all we are made in the image of GOD and I am sure the scent of God, the scent of man is a fragrance that should never be abolished.” Just saying.

I pray, as Debra said, that I always see the image of God in whomever I encounter and to always “Do Likewise”.