I'm unemployed and my husband is retired. There are days when we have no need to leave the house. If we don't leave the house, we sometimes get lazy and don't shower and "dress for success". If that happens two days in a row, and those days include some physical work, it can result in...yup, body odor.
Another thing you have to understand is that I spent 6 months in Cameroon Africa in a village with no running water. We could have bathed in a lake, but parasites were a big problem. Having clean water for cooking and bathing was a time consuming challenge. (It became easier to understand the stories of the early settlers who took their yearly bath in the spring!)
When I first arrived in Africa, my nose would definitely detect body odor. The longer I lived there, the less noticeable it became because we all smelled the same... Your nose adjusts...
Yesterday I didn't leave the house (and didn't shower). Today, I didn't shower in the morning knowing I'd be cleaning up before going out for afternoon and evening meetings. I did some various jobs around the house, and by early afternoon, I was detecting my own odor. It wasn't pleasant. That's when I silently said "Lord, thank you that my nose can tell when I need a shower! It would be really bad if I couldn't tell!"
Some of you reading this may think it's a ridiculous story to tell, or a ridiculous thing to thank God for... But it didn't come about in an "official prayer time"... I didn't write it in a prayer journal. It was just part of a continual conversation with God as I went throughout my day.
After those silents words were directed to God, I laughed at myself. Then I was actually a bit pleased - because I think it means I'm developing an attitude of thanksgiving.
1 Thessalonians 5:17-18 (NIV) Pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus.
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