To Those Sick Of Hearing About Essential Oils

Before we start our time together, please know I do not sell essential oils. This is NOT a sales pitch. It’s just an explanation. I promise.

 I know. The conversation is everywhere.

Have an ailment? Try ________ oil!

Can’t sleep? Try ___________ oil.

Anxious? Try ________ oil.

Are your kids driving you crazy after a long day of work and dinner still needs to be made? Try vodka ________ oil.

It’s frustrating. I get it.

I, too, thought essential oils were just a snake oil, voodoo magic trick. All my friends were addicted and I thought they were crazy. Once, to be nice, I attended an oil information session a friend hosted. Mostly because she is a tremendous cook and her appetizers are to die for. So there.

It just so happened on this particular evening, I was having some stomach trouble. In fact, a lot of evenings I’d been having some stomach trouble. When I arrived at my friend’s home, I told her I may not be staying long because of said stomach troubles. She actually said, “Here. Put 2 drops of XXX oil under your tongue.”

“Uh-huh. Suuuuurrre” I did it. I couldn’t be rude. After all, I was there to learn about oils and eat yummy food.

No lie. About 30 minutes later I had no discomfort. So of course, I bought a bottle of XXX oil. And I was hooked.

Because if XXX oil helped me with my stomach, then YYY oil may help me with headaches. And ZZZ oil is great for relaxing. And so on and so on.

Now – I didn’t go nuts and start a blog all about oils. (Although I am so grateful for those who have because I use those resources all the time. Bygones.) But I did start buying more and putting them to daily use. That was over a year ago.

Fast forward to last week. The owner of Biotechnews.com is sponsoring segments of the radio show because he wants the world – or in this case, the Portland Metro Christian market – to know what essential oils can do. Specifically, the oils found in the Bible.

What, now?

Yes. Essential oils are mentioned all throughout the Bible. I knew about Frankincense and Myrrh because that’s what the Little Baby Jesus got for a birthday gift. What I didn’t know was the time involved in the processing of Frankincense and Myrrh and therefore, why they more expensive than most other oils. What I also didn’t know was these oils could be used for calming, alleviating inflammation, acne, helping to heal respiratory complications, etc.

So, if you are a mother around the same time Mary had Jesus and someone handed you a bottle of Frankincense, you just received a product more expensive than most Nazarenes could afford. Also, you would use this product a ton since doctors weren’t as readily available as they are today and Obamacare wasn’t around yet. DO YOU SEE THE SIGNIFICANCE HERE???

Sorry to yell. This is where I get excited. God has been helping us with health and wellness since the Garden of Eden, people!

For the next few months, we’ll be running the series, Essential Oils of the Bible, every Thursday on Rose City Forum. It may not make you an avid consumer of lavender and peppermint, but I hope you will learn how God has cared for our medical well-being since the beginning of time. I’m fascinated by the subject and I am thinking you will be, too.

Portlanders can listen Thursdays at noon on KKPZ 1330AM. Everyone else can live stream on KKPZ.com or subscribe to the podcast to hear the talks on your own time.

I’m so curious to hear what you think!

Oh! And just you in case you want to hear how a ministry is using essential oils (among other things) to help girls better themselves after sex-trafficking and prostitution, listen to my interview with Episcopal priest and author, Rev. Becca Stevens and then shop on the Thistle Farms website:

*We say this in the show and I’ll say it here: I’m not promoting any brand of essential oil, but I will ask you to do your research. Some oils are pure, some are not. Google will tell you what you need to know – it’s smart that way.