Pass the Salt Please

Ah – my senses are alive with the signs of spring everywhere in Minnesota right now: the sounds of windshields being scraped, the exhaust fumes of powered snow removal equipment, and the beautiful glare of the sun as it reflects off frozen lakes!

Ugh.  I don’t know about you, but I’m tired of winter and wondering if spring will EVER get here.  Somebody needs to tell the weatherman to check the calendar!

I was talking to a coworker today who said his local home improvement store ran out of sidewalk salt.   One really can’t blame them – they undoubtedly planned to be selling barbeque grills and fertilizer by now, not handwarmer packets and de-icer.

It did draw my mind to a warmer Mediterranean climate though.  On a hill in Galilee with nary a snowflake in sight, Jesus said we are to be salt and light to our world (Matthew 5:13-16).  Hardware stores across our area are running physically low on salt right now.  I wonder if the world around us is running low on spiritual salt right now too – the preserving, seasoning, and nutritious salt that only comes through hope in Christ.

If you’re like me, you may be feeling a bit salty at how your springtime plans are being disrupted.  Maybe you could bring some saltiness to someone whose soul is going through a longer-than-expected winter right now.

Who do you know that could use a kind word, a helping hand, an open ear, or a prayer?  Who do you know who feels like they are out in the cold or sliding out of control?  Who do you know that needs some hope?

Mark 9:50b says “Have salt in yourselves, and be at peace with one another.”  It’s awfully slippery out there.  Pass the salt to someone who needs it.