Late last night, on the way home from my oldest son’s basketball game, my youngest was in a chatty-cathy-kinda-mood. He said, “Mom, you wanna hear a true story?” Well, of course my ears perked up and I immediately turned the radio down. “Absolutely! Hit me….Bub.”
My newly nine-year-old son proceeds to tell me this sweet story, with a salty twist.
“When I was four years old, I was hungry for something sweet. I went to the pantry. I couldn’t read, you know. So I grabbed that big can with the metal lid, which I thought was sugar. I poured some in a big spoon and I put it in my mouth. It turned out to be….SALT! I gagged. Then I spit it out in the sink.”
My mind was reeling with the vast possibilities of allegories to this sweet (turned salty) story. It could go in so many directions. Here is but one:
Looks can be deceiving. Just as salt was cleverly disguised as sugar in my young son’s story, appearances are not always what they seem.
Did David look like he could defeat Goliath? Not in the least. Yet with God’s direction and a shot of courage, he not only defeated the large monster, he killed him…dead as a door nail, right there in front of all eyes that witnessed the divine power and super intervention that comes with an obedience and faith in our Lord.
Did Jesus, that tiny, precious, innocent baby born out of wedlock, lying in a manger full of hay in a dirty, old barn, look like a king? Nope, not at all. Yet, He WAS and IS the King of my life….and many of yours.
Our God specializes in taking the weak, the normal, the ordinary, the fearful, the doubtful, the super special sinful and giving them a voice, a direction, a mission, a chance to shine….for Him, for His glory.
Do not count yourself short. You may be walking around feeling like a sugar-coated mess. But really, you are the salt of the earth. God can use you; He will use you. He likely prefers you to be willing to be used…but nothing is out of His jurisdiction. Jonah, anyone?
Looks are often deceiving. Don’t let anyone base your worth on the small glimpse of life they see on the outside. They do not know what is brewing, percolating, growing and coming to fruition on the inside. Keep that salt packet ready; your time to season the world may just be TODAY.
This was previously published in Calla Press. {eoa}
Manndi Maphies DeBoef works at the UMKC School of Pharmacy and as a freelance writer. Her greatest passion is being a boy mom to her two sons: William (11) and Waylan (9). Her sons provide much material, which inspires her writings. She also writes on such topics as single parenthood, miscarriage, loss of a loved one and starting over. Her pieces are filled with inspiration, encouragement and always a touch of humor.
Curt Landry 
Michael L. Brown 
Rabbi Eric Tokajer 
