Salt. Sprinkle a little over your friends.

This is something I jotted down on a February morning.
I hear the birds sing as the rain falls softly outside my bedroom window. I watch as the drops break the surface of the lake, there's a crisp chill in the air. Will you look at that? The Yellow Bells (Forsythia) are starting to bloom.
I wipe the sleep from my eyes and visions of hot coffee began to flood my head. I hate to admit, I have turned into one of those people- I choose not to function until I've had my coffee. Then, before my first sip, God gave me something. Salt. Yes, just salt. "What?" The thought leaves me as I shuffle out of bed... 

  SHUFFLE verb shuf·fle \ˈshə-fəl\  : to slide your feet along the ground or back and forth without lifting them completely. [It's what happens as you get older and especially before coffee.]

I'm ashamed to say I discounted those words at first, so much to do today.  As I go about my morning I ponder, "was that from God or simply a word of my own choosing?" We over-thinkers do that, you know. We run things through our head front and back, back and front...
I find myself in the front yard as the puppy does his business and I keep feeling this word.  Salt.

I keep hearing, "salt". [Are we out of salt? Do I need to buy salt, what?] I half expect to see a text message that says simply, Salt. God.

As my brain absorbs more coffee and I'm able to enjoy my morning devotion, which by the way, is NOT about salt. 

Or is it? 

I begin reading about that "salt" thing, because honestly it's not going away until I do.  I open my Bible and without reference checking or anything, I find myself in Matthew.  I've read this at least one hundred times but today in the fifth chapter it SMACKS me in the head! (13)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. (14)You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden…

On to the gospel of Mark. 9:50
"Salt is good, but if it loses its saltiness, how can you make it salty again? Have salt among yourselves, and be at peace with each other."
Then from the same book of Leviticus, the subject of today's devotion comes,

Leviticus 2:13 And every oblation of your meat offering shall you season with salt…  While the sacrifices of Leviticus [Thank you Lysa Terkeurst] do not apply to me today, the message still does.

By now we are all loathing this election year,right?
If I could move into the dark recesses of the world and not hear all the mud slinging, the bickering, divisiveness, the lies and half truths, promises and deceptions, tension with friends approaching from a different viewpoint..   well, I would.
I would rather simply avoid the unpleasant things of life these days and move on. I think to myself. Politicians, what a horrible, selfish lot.  Wait..   [stillness & silence surround me. Tears well and overflow.] 

Oh Father.. when did it happen? When did I give up? When did I become so calloused and tasteless?  At some point along the way, I allowed myself  to become every "less" I can think of. . .  "trampled underfoot by men."
It's so tiring Lord, there's so much evil in the world, so much disdain for you. I can't even watch the news most nights. I can't read about another teacher having sex with a student, I just can't!
Instead of allowing you to heal me, I shut down, closed myself off... became tasteless.

You saved me, rescued me long ago, I was 9 years old. You should by all accounts these days, throw me aside based on my actions. But just as my earthly daddy would scoop me up and hold me tight, make my world right again and assure me I was going to be fine- You God, hold me upright, gently correct and assure me.   Your desire to hold me close is palpable.

"Many are the plans in a person's heart, but it is the LORD's purpose that prevails." Proverbs 19:21  Wow..  Abba Father, just wow. It is a profoundly humbling feeling to know I am so important to You. In all my imperfection You love me right where I am. I'm feeling the salt.

Several months ago and after I had this experience, someone helped me see myself more clearly and helped me see myself as God sees me. [Thank you Kinsley. God is using you in a mighty way]
I have released all the fear, all the failures, all the disappointments to Him. I feel His love and caressing touch all day. There is indeed, a song in my heart. I pray I never become complacent again.
Today, this day the Lord has made. Today, I'm salty.