Incense

Several years ago, I had an aversion to incense. The scent, I thought, was heavy and cloying. It made the air too thick and made it difficult to breathe. I dreaded the scent of incense. At some point, I realized I put too much emphasis on what other people think and believe and didn't always trust my own judgment. When I opened myself up a little further, I realized it wasn't so much that I didn't like the incense, but it was someone I knew, loved and respected that didn't like incense. Because of that, I hadn't allowed myself to feel anything but comtempt for incense.

Tonight, at Stations of the Cross, I am again reminded of how my view point has been changed. The incense makes the devotional seem more reverent. It adds an atmosphere to the evening that cannot be captured through the prayers and songs on its own. There is a dimension added, a fullness.

Tonight, I give thanks for incense, the reverence it brings, and the Stations of the Cross I was able to experience this evening.