By B.J. Funk —

In the past few years, I have had a sweet, calming, and beautiful surprise happening in my life. I have smelled heaven.

I first recognized this indescribable occurrence when I sat in the lounge chair in my living room. Suddenly, from out of nowhere came the most beautiful fragrance. I looked around, startled by the compelling, comforting wonder. No one else was in my home; no candles were lit. I had not earlier sprayed perfume that might have lingered in my bedroom and now wafted into my living room. Besides, I had never smelled this scent before. 

Within a few minutes it was gone, as if compelled to take flight back to its origin. The delicate fragrance left completely. I sat pondering what had just happened.

Months passed. I was in the same lounge chair when suddenly, without any notice, another beautiful smell passed over my face. This was the second time, and this smell was different. I put my head back and allowed the sensation to completely permeate my nose. In a few minutes, the delightful smell left.

Months later, a new, soft fragrance surrounded me in that same lounge chair. I sat as if suspended in time, not sure of what was occurring, filled with questions, and hoping the lovely smell would stay longer. It did not. 

In all three of these situations, I was alone in my home. No candles burning, no perfumes, no room spray, no hair spray, nothing had been released into the air. This happened several more times. Perhaps I might have ignored this intriguing occurrence except for what happened next.

One night, I was in bed and about to go to sleep, I was suddenly surrounded by another delightful smell reaching my nostrils. I was puzzled. How was this happening? Where were these beautiful smells coming from? 

In my bed, lying next to my husband’s place, something clicked in my soul. All of the pleasant smells were connected to Roy. After thinking in solitude, I believe I interpreted, with the Holy Spirit’s help, exactly what was happening.

My lounge chair sits in the exact spot where a hospital bed cradled Roy as Jesus took his hand and carried him to heaven thirteen years ago. As I sit there, my head is in the direct vicinity where Roy’s head was as eternity embraced him into another realm. I had never realized this before.

It is with this new understanding – that heaven is reaching down to me at the spot where Roy lay – that I drew the revelation that for some unknown reason, heaven’s smells were making a connection with me, always at the place where he had last been at rest. There is no clarity about why this happens to me.

You may ask if I feel God is getting me ready to leave this earth. Not really. I have no clue about that. I don’t ask him to explain. I feel that if I did, he would say, “You can’t figure this out. Just enjoy.”

It’s the same understanding I feel daily with God. I could never describe the moment in time when I knew, for the first time, that I was loved deeply by a loving God who yearns that I accept his offer of a relationship. Nor could I explain to anyone how salvation has changed my heart forever. These mysteries belong only to God. I accept the joy of knowing him and never doubt that this supernatural occurrence has happened, never attempting to figure it out. I love God’s “Surprise moments,” when heaven invades earth at His command.

My immediate family is with the Lord. My mother, my daddy, my one sibling, and my husband. I miss them. But, when I smell heaven, I rejoice that they have that beautiful smell always. I dance inside just for that momentarily uncomplicated piece of earth-time when I get to know a bit of what they always know in marvelous amazing quantity in that beautiful, sweet-smelling land called heaven.

B.J. Funk is Good News’ long-time devotional columnist and author of It’s A Good Day for Grace, available on Amazon.

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