Salt and Light

“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.” Matthew 5:13.

When I was in 3^rd grade, I learned that Columbus found the New World because he was searching for a short cut to the Indies. They wanted spices. Spices! Mmmm. Cinnamon and nutmeg and my mother’s home-baked pumpkin pie!

In 8^th grade, I learned that they wanted salt, an ingredient we seldom used at our house. Salt tasted funny and I didn’t like it. It was probably the iodine that they added to it. Remember the little girl with the umbrella on the label? In both cases, I just didn’t understand. What was the big deal about spices?

In high school, I learned that salt was a rare and treasured commodity. Why? Because it PRESERVES. Refrigeration had not yet been invented, and food treated with salt would resist bacteria and travel long distances without spoiling.

We are called to be salt, not to season, but to PRESERVE. We are called to preserve the history, the lessons, the promises, the Inspired Word of God. We are told to pass it on. It is not to be forgotten. Some will hear…and read…and understand.

Be salt.

“You are the light of the world….let your light shine before men that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.” Matthew 5:14-16.

We are told to let our light shine. Why? So that we get to see the results? No. We seldom get to see the results. If we saw the results, we might start wanting to take the credit. Well, then, why do we let our light shine? So that God will be praised.

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God…In him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness and the darkness grasps it not.” John 1:1-5.

Do you get discouraged when you don’t see the results? I did. I wanted so desperately to make a difference that when I didn’t SEE that difference, I felt useless. But it’s not really my job to make a difference. Even Jesus’ light was often not “grasped”. It is God’s job to make the difference. It is our job to be light, to live our lives so that others can SEE the difference. Some will see the light…and search for…and find Him.

Be light.

Lost and Found

"I once was lost, but now am found." Words from an old song, familiar to many of us, one of the most often recorded spiritual songs in the secular catalog, "Amazing Grace".
A few years ago, while driving across the Mojave Desert in California (which becomes the Mohave Desert in Arizona), late on a moonless night, I heard a news bulletin on the radio. Two children, ages three and five, were lost on the desert. They had last been seen in light cotton clothes, barefoot. It was a winter night with that signature high desert bitter cold. I wondered what those two precious little children could be doing out there alone. I whispered a prayer for them. "O Lord, You know where they are. Protect them from the cold, their little feet from the cactus thorns. Keep them safe from the marauders, and also from all the desert scurriers that bite, stick and sting. Send Your angels to surround them and let them know deep in their little hearts that they are not alone and that You are with them."
Several hours later, I heard that they had been found, unharmed, not far from a rest stop outside Barstow. What a miracle!
The desert, not unlike our world, is an unfriendly place. A friend of mine, a desert guide, states that there is no such thing as "Desert Survival", only "Desert Preparedness". You take with you a compass, protective covering, shelter, and of course, plenty of water. You always let someone know where you are going and when you expect to return.
As you travel through life, do you feel lost? Are you barefoot in the cold of an uncaring society, walking on the thorny ground of despair, deceit, disbelief? Are you surrounded by the marauders of chaos, confusion, crime, and by all the pain...physical, emotional, spiritual...that bites, sticks and stings? Know that there is a compass, there is protective covering, a shelter, and water for you. The Compass is the Bible, the Inspired Word of God. The Protective Covering is the Blood of Jesus Christ., shed for you on the Cross. The Shelter is God's Love for you. The Water is the Living Water of Life, given to you by God as a Gift, and symbolized in Baptism. Know that WITH God and IN God you are never alone. His angels hover over you, in His Protection for you.
Remember this: God's Hand is reaching down for yours.
Reach up and take it.
Reach up.