What you may not know...

A few years ago... okay, probably 30 by now. My brothers, who shall remain unnamed (and not Jon and Dave), and I spent several falls in a row hunting deer with bow and arrow in the U.P. (upper peninsula of Michigan).  It was a strange place mostly trees and deer and just about as many bars and very few people (probably had more bars than people).  In our quest to disguise ourselves, so that the deer would not recognize us as hunters and thus behave normally and be much easier to get, we all cross-dressed (I chose to look like a tree and my unnamed brothers,  not Jon and Dave, chose dresses, nylons and three inch heels).  I had to set them straight and finally convinced them that a nice pants suit with nylons underneath would be much  more practical, warmer and easier to walk through brush or climb a tree in the case of a wild animal attack (bears, skunks,wolverines etc...  They also chose a nice Chanel #5 to smell less like a man, I chose a two part synthetic that once combined smelled like a skunk.  In their (the unnamed bothers) instructions it said to apply liberally in multiple spots, my instructions were to apply on a rag and drag behind, attached by a string if walking, or hang on a bush or tree several yards away if sitting still.  After several days my unnamed brothers,  not Jon and Dave, both stopped wearing the Chanel #5 and instead used Obsession,  I was having trouble with the whole drag thing as it would get caught on brush or I would have to go and pick up the pieces expertly on the nearby bush or tree in the dark. Whereas, they thought theirs would not only disguise but also be an attractant, I changed my technique and started applying the "skunk" to the heel of my boots and later on the bottom of my tree/camo suit.  By the end of the week Dave's wife Carol came out to the camp to check out what was happening.  My other brothers, who incidentally ARE NOT Jon and Dave, (and shall still remain nameless) told tales of strange looks given them by other hunters, I only had accounts of trying this new masking odor that seemed to have lost its potency once opened. Carol started making comments like "Whew! What's that smell?"  I offered her the remainder that was still in the bottle but she refused insisting she had her own perfume  "...and besides... is that... also a... skunk I smell?"  What had happened was that over the week  my nose had gotten used to the "skunk" to the point where it no longer had the edge that it once had.  To this day real skunk odors do not offend me and I breath in a little deeper and almost enjoy  it because it is really not all that bad you know (note this is not the fresh overpowering odor but one that had been let loose a while ago or a ways away).  What's my point you ask?  You never really know someone till you go hunting with them...   No not really, but I will bet you have smiled or laughed at some point along the way and have learned that I actually have four brothers...  really my point is that you can get used to something over a period of time and you will make adjustments to tolerate a condition or habit that would at one time repel or be totally unacceptable to you.  We get used to physical maladies, abuse by leaders, habits and sins that taint and hinder us.  Ask for the Light of God to shine on you and expose the work of the enemy that has made its way into your life. Next will be to get free... and the truth shall make you free!

P.S. In retrospect using an odor that  in nature is used as an alarm or a defense against an attack may actually repel or make deer go around to avoid an area where an enemy may be.  Today I actually think Chanel #5 may be the better choice.