Chips and Salt and Light

© Pontuse | Stock Free Images & Dreamstime Stock Photos

Have you ever noticed that the chips at the top of the bag are pretty and whole and just about perfect to look at, but the broken chips at the bottom are the saltiest? I think it's the same with people. 

Jesus tells us that we're supposed to be the salt of the earth and the light of the world (Matthew 15:13-16). We get so caught up in wanting to be whole, wanting to look and feel perfect--not flawed and broken and messed up--wanting to hang on to youth, beauty, health. But the truth is that the saltiest individuals are those who've taken that rough trip to bottom of the bag, been beaten up a bit by time and handling. Yes, those painful life experiences and heart wounds really hurt on the way down, but Jesus uses them to give the world a potent taste of His grace.

Just like those last broken bits that leave your fingers coated with salt crystals, those who are saltiest for God's kingdom are those who've been broken.

When to Let Them Walk Away

© Marilyna | Stock Free Images & Dreamstime Stock Photos

As I stood at the sink and washed dishes and listened through the window at the new neighborhood children playing in our front yard today, I heard a few catty comments, saw some stubborn jaws and crossed arms, and heard that fateful "I'm going home" when one girl didn't like the rules of wiffle ball, followed by a stormy exit through the picket fence gate. 

It occurred to me that children learn how to manipulate others at an early age. Seems that walking away is a powerful weapon to wield and a formidable foe to face.

As I reflect on this tonight, my heart for my children is to learn early on when someone is worth pursuing and when to shrug and let them go.