This Light and Salty Life

A friend of mine asked me to give a devotional for a board meeting earlier this week. As my mind is in such a whirlwind with our upcoming move, winding down responsibilities here, and (finally!) the publication of my book, in addition to, you know, the rest of the stuff that still has to go on in daily life (dinner, laundry, you know the drill) I struggled with what to say: first I explored topics such as “Biblical reasons for lowering your expectations,” “Times of Transition,” and “Finishing well.” Not until I was walking out the door on Tuesday did God reveal to me His message: Being Salt and Light in His Kingdom.

In Sunday School this week we looked at Matthew 5:13-16. In these verses, Jesus says: “You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt has become tasteless, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled under foot by men. You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden; nor does anyone light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.” This is from the Sermon on the Mount, just after the Beatitudes. We discussed how, exactly, we are to be salt and light, as Jesus says we must.

So what is salt? What does salt do? Salt was once so valuable that it was used as payment or currency (this is why we say a man is “worth his salt”). Salt preserves, enhances flavor, and creates thirst. It is also an astringent or cleanser. Jesus speaks of salt that has “become tasteless.” Salt itself does not ever lose it flavor, as other foods do. It becomes “unsalty” when it is contaminated by gypsum or other minerals. It’s returned to its salty state when it is purified. Are we like this? Do we enhance the flavor of life for those around us? Do we create a thirst for Christ and preserve His word? Do we keep our witness pure, not saying we are “saved by Christ and...” or “strengthened by Christ and...”

What does light do? It goes everywhere! It gives guidance. It defeats darkness, brings joy. It is contagious. (Have you ever been in a candlelight service? One candle’s light can eventually light a whole sanctuary!) Light gives comfort, reveals color, and can transform. It can also reveal dirt--this must be done carefully, for light can also be blinding and painful.

How can I pull this off? I don’t have time to enhance flavor and show color--I’m getting ready to PCS and I have family responsibilities, I have PWOC stuff to finish...and... and...how do I ADD “Be salt and light” to this?

But...salt does not have to work to be salt. Light does not have to put forth extra effort in order to shine. This is what they are, so this is what they naturally do. Is this what I naturally am? Is this what I naturally do?

I can be salt and light when I visit the transportation office (again) because someone’s schedule got changed (again). We are salt and light when we take our kids to the park, in our conversations with other women. It’s much MORE about what we ARE and much LESS about extra things that we DO, because heaven knows the last thing anyone needs is SOMETHING ELSE on our to-do list.

The theme verse for PWOC international this year is the Lord’s prayer, which includes the phrase “...on earth as it is in heaven.” Our light and salty lives can bring a taste and a view of heaven to those we meet in our daily walk.

I hope I make people thirsty.

How Long Will It Take...

This summer my family is moving to a foreign country. It's called "America." My son has never lived there, my daughter has lived only 4 of her 11 years there. So it's going to take some adjustment.

When you live in Europe but belong to the military you get used to two sets of everything. (Currency, electricity, measurement, everything. It’s crazy, really). We have jokes in our family about how long it's going to take before we stop asking certain kinds of questions. Like these:

"Is that 110 or 220?"

"Is that in dollars or euros?"

"Is that in Fahrenheit or Celsius?"

"How many kilometers is that on the autostrada?"

"Doesn't that close for riposo?" (Half the stores in Italy close for three hours at lunchtime. We have to adjust to this NOT happening.)

"Did you remember the gas coupons?"

And then there's these questions:

How long will it take before I stop referring to everything off post as "on the economy"?

How long will it take before I stop greeting the gate guards in Italian?

My family says "You'll be fine, you grew up in America, this is home for you." And it is. I will ALWAYS consider myself a citizen of Texas. (hahaha) But when you live in a country outside of Texas (ok, fine, outside America) for seven years, you wake up one morning and realize it's not a foreign country anymore. This is "where I'm from," too. And leaving my other home country will be very hard. (pausing to search for tissues).

The city, state, country, and CONTINENT we live on is about to change, as well as the languages of the people around us. Kids will go to new schools. I may have to get an actual “job”. We will probably live in a house that isn’t connected to the one next to us. Absolutely everything about our lives will be different. 

Except our family. And our faith. God remains the constant in our lives, the reason that I don’t completely fall apart when paperwork gets the best of me (I’m choosing to ignore the 5-minute breakdown I had yesterday). 

When I start getting weepy over this (and it’s happening a lot) I remember that Moses and Abraham had once been “strangers in a strange land” (Exodus 2:22 KJV). I also remember that God is going before us to prepare the way. He is with us at all times. There’s even a verse that tells us “the glory of the LORD will be your rear guard” (Isaiah 58:8). These verses speak volumes of comfort to my heart.

But I’m not quite sure whether it’s in liters or gallons.

Does This Post Make Me Look Fat?

Well, it’s Spring in Italy (WHOO-HOO!!!) which means it’s time for The Great Wardrobe Switch. All the winter clothes go away, and all the spring/summer clothes come out. (Usually it happens in two phases, but we’re moving this summer and I just wanted to get it all out of the way.) 

By the way, “winter clothes” is a phenomenon that I never experienced until moving to Italy. In Texas we wear pretty much the same thing year-round: jeans and t-shirts. It gets cold? (This means, like, 70 degrees) Then you grab a windbreaker. I have seriously never had this many different kinds of coats in my life. So weird.

Anyway...this also means that the kids try on all the stuff I put away last year, and all the stuff that miiiiight fit next year but probably won’t since they INSIST on getting taller (sheesh...). Things get packed away or put in the yard sale pile.

And then there’s my closet. Sigh. Now, my husband learned long ago that there is no safe answer to the question “Does this make me look fat?” And, being fairly intelligent myself, when we had to do this first Great Wardrobe Switch I decided to COME UP WITH A DIFFERENT QUESTION. It’s some variation of “How does this dress look on me?” 

Is this dress still flattering?

Does this dress still highlight my figure?

Etcetera.

Now I have one skirt in particular that I LOVE. It’s purple (need I say more?) and twirly (apparently so). But, well, it’s not the most flattering thing I own. Even I admit this. When I came downstairs this time SSG OPSEC got a funny look on his face. “That skirt...is less forgiving.” Translation: You’ve had two kids, and that skirt does NOTHING to hide it.

The good news is that we’ve been through this so many times that I know he is criticizing the skirt and not my figure. 

So...deep theological meaning? Nope. Big Important Point? Not really. Just a Hint for a Happy Marriage:

Hint: Keep the comments about the clothes and not about the person. Ladies, you know  before you ask whether or not that dress compliments your...eyes.