salt and pepper

Our first week in Mexico required a trip to the grocery store, obviously. We had made a detailed list as we were trying to fill our single cupboard and shoulder-high fridge with enough food to last us the week and some staple items everyone needs around the house. We were about to start putting our items on the cashier belt, when we remembered that salt was on our list and it was still MIA at this point. I quickly volunteered to go grab some.

Now Marin and I are unsure what I was thinking when I grabbed the salt. For some reason my eyes did not notice the ample amount of salt shakers on the third shelf and only saw the bags of salt on the 4th shelf. For whatever reason, I grabbed a bag and ran up front explaining to Marin that this was the only salt in the store.

This little tale happened in August. It is now May and we are still using the same salt bag. It's actually a great conversation piece when we have people over for dinner and have to pull out the pail of salt. I like to tell people, "I prefer the realistic 'pinch' of salt, and this pail works to our advantage." In my mind, I'm thinking with a smile "This huge pail really is kinda annoying. And they probably don't like sticking their hands into it to grab a pinch of salt."

Knowing my preference for salty things over sweet things, there may be a psychological reason I grabbed the bag of salt versus the shaker, who knows? Either way, we have a lot of it and it's made for many a laugh this year. Speaking of salt, this last week during our 'book study', we girls listened to a sermon from Open Door Church in Maple Grove, Minnesota.

The man expounded on Matthew 5:13, "You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled by men."

I have heard this verse a lot as I've been growing up. I don't know if I have ever really understood it. It's hard for me to think of salt losing its saltiness. Apparently it can happen if its bogged down with water. And then it's no good for anything says the Word.

So if we are to be useful salt, we are to be sprinkling Him as we live. What we do and what we think should be filled with salt. It wouldn't be good for anyone if we just kept our salt piled up in a pail. Pinches of "Him" need to be peppered throughout our daily lives.

Salt adds flavor to life. It is in striving to live like Him that our lives will be filled with flavor. I'm not supposed to dump the salt over people's heads, just shake it out constantly, a little at a time.

Not only do I think salt is a necessary part of my diet, I know it's a necessary part of my life. For you and I are called to be the salt of the world. We are to spice life up by peppering Jesus into every part of it, everyday.