Mira lifted my clothing and placed the burning pot of frankincense underneath. Luckily for me, I watched her do the same to my friend
At first, I was a little taken aback—I had never seen or experienced this before. Furthermore, my clothing was made of polyester. I envisioned it going up in flames and having to do “stop, drop, and roll” maneuvers right there on their beautiful Persian rug.
It wasn’t long and I smelled of frankincense—sweet like honey, with the freshness of lemon, along with subtle undertones of pine, a woody scent. It’s delightful, really. I was reminded of a visit to Muir Woods National Monument with my family, a forest of the giant redwoods of California. There I wanted to bottle up the evergreen scent to take home with me. And it was the same for this moment in Mira’s home.
We had officially been welcomed and perfumed the Omani way.
I smelled like the Omani customs agent who had welcomed me into his country, and like the lady at the mall wearing the abaya—the traditional gown. But sadly, this fresh, clean and earthy scent only clung to my clothing for a day.
After being served cardamom-flavored coffee, the traditional Arabic coffee, and fresh dates from their tree, it was time to leave. Mira sent me home with a gift of frankincense—her way to bless me once again.
Just over 2000 years ago, another such blessing was given. A sweet little babe in Bethlehem also received gifts. These gifts didn’t come wrapped in a beautiful box tied with a bow, but one likely came smoldering in a pot—its incense climbing up over the
Frankincense resin will make any curious traveler stop and linger for a bit. So, will the presence of Jesus. Indeed, this thoughtful gift to the world—God—wrapped in human form came to bring peace and blessings to all the people, to the ancients first and to all of us today.
In order to be a blessing, there’s giving involved—trees in Oman give us frankincense; God gives his Holy Spirt (See Acts 2), and we, in turn, give the gift of peace and kindness to our friends and family.
May you be surrounded by His peace and presence today. Merry Christmas!