Perfume and incense bring joy to the heart, and the pleasantness of one's friend springs from his earnest council (Proverbs 27:9).

I've kept in touch with Jason even though we've spent the better part of the past decade on opposite sides of the Atlantic Ocean.  And when I say that we've "kept in touch," I don't just mean sending Christmas cards and birth announcements and Facebook friendship:  I mean that we talk on the phone or do a video conference call over the computer every week.  Thursday evenings have been our habit most recently.  And when we talk, we don't just shoot the breeze, trade amusing anecdotes about our children, chat about sports and the weather, and that sort of thing (though there is some of that, naturally).  We actually talk about serious stuff:  our marriages, our ministries (we both happen to be church-planters and pastors), our fears and failures, our hopes and ambitions.  The real substance of life.  Because we've stayed so close through the years, despite out geographic separation, we've learned to really rely on one another for advice, encouragement, and accountability.  So you could definitely say that I've learned how "the pleasantness of one's friend springs from his earnest counsel."  To me, that phrase from the Proverbs fits my friendship with Jason perfectly.

But the first part of Proverbs 27:9 initially puzzled me.  Number one:  What role does one's sense of smell actually play in bringing joy to someone's heart?  And number two:  How does that in any way relate to friendship and earnest counsel?  Do you know what I mean?  Proverbs 27:9 seems like a kind of strange couplet, if you ask me.

As I consider my relationship with Jason, though, I realize that our Thursday evening conversations often have the sensation of stepping into a rich, leafy herb garden -- being enveloped by the exotic, velvety aromas of mint, oregano, and rosemary -- after a day of working at the garbage dump or sewage treatment plant.  The word-picture is surpringly spot-on.  When the rest of life stinks, but there's one sweet respite, it seems somehow manageable.  It really does bring joy and refreshment to my heart, even when other circumstances are trying.  My friend's "earnest counsel" has come to be an oasis, a retreat, a high-walled garden -- a, pardon the cliché, breath of fresh air.

So, when I consider this example from my own life, Proverbs 27:9 actually resonates in a very deep way.  When traveling through the muck and mire of day-to-day life, it's important to have an oasis every now and then.