Read: John 12:1-8. 

A wise adage says, “Take time to smell the roses.” Life is to be experienced and enjoyed. Sometimes in the midst of our daily schedules and pressures, we forget to slow down and experience the joy of life in God’s presence. Mary didn’t. In fact, at great cost and with grand gestures she does the unthinkable. She used expensive perfume on Jesus’ feet and wiped them with her hair. She broke the norm in her day of contact between men and women but not the norm of faith and love. The room was filled with a wonderful aroma. In the Gospel of John, Mary is the first person to act out her devotion to Jesus. As Jesus approaches Jerusalem and his impending death, there is a preciousness about life and God’s saving work that Mary captures, a preciousness we are all called to capture and experience with deep reverence. It identifies a sensation that fills an entire room with the fragrance of the good news of Jesus Christ. How do you slow down to enjoy the beauty of God’s presence and saving work in your life? 

Pray: Lord Jesus, you who gave everything to love us and save us from our sins, help us to pause, give thanks, and experience the joy of life in your presence. Amen. 

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