I was seven years old the day I turned to salt.
Sodium Chloride. Pepper's best friend. The only thing that
can counter-act sweet. That's right...
salt. Think I'm crazy yet?
At a revival at my church in 1977, right after a puppet show and pizza
in the mini-kitchen I gave
my heart to Jesus. I can remember, as with all invitation times
at a Baptist church, there were
counselors and the visiting evangelist in another side room after the
children's program to talk to
the kids who went forward that night. They just want to make
sure that kids aren't just going
forward because their friends did or they were pressured in any way,
because that sort of decision
(giving your life to follow Christ) is pretty important and one that
only you and you alone can
make. There were just enough older people to talk to all
of the other kids before me. I stood
waiting for them to finish, leaning up against the wall... but
I wasn't alone. I know that night an
angel stood beside me until someone could talk to me. I knew
it was the right decision. Nearly
30 years later, I still know it was the right decision.
I went forward that Sunday in front of my whole church congregation,
to let them all know of my
decision. I was baptized not too long after that. (They
said my feet floated to the top of the water
when the pastor dunked me! Heh!) And so I started down
the pathway of a christian walk. I
had a very church-filled childhood. It was pretty fun.
I was in the children's choir and
participated in several musical plays and enjoyed myself. I was
in our RA missions group and
had a blast because we had some pretty cool leaders that made it fun.
The people at my church
were my second family.
I can't say I've always been the sort of christian Christ wanted me
to be. I went through a period
of time in late high school and college where I fell away for a bit.
I went away to college, free
from my parents, and thought it was time to sow some of my own wild
oats. I did several things
that I regret to this day. If I told you what they were, you
would probably think they were pretty
mild in the overall scheme of things. It wasn't so much the sin
I committed then was any worse
than any other sin I had committed in my life. The real tradgedy
of my sin then was... I knew
better, AND I hid my light under a bushel. I became salt that
lost it's taste. Here is what the
Bible says about that...
Matthew 5
Salt and Light
13"You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt
loses its saltiness,
how can it be made salty again? It is no longer
good for anything,
except to be thrown out and trampled by men.
14"You are the light of the
world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden.
15Neither do people light a lamp and put it under
a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it
gives light to everyone in the house.
16In the same way, let your light shine before
men, that they
may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.
Fortunately, God is patient with me... and very forgiving. I came home
from college and it seemed
like God called to me. It also helped being back home in my Mother's
house. She always made
sure when I was little that I went to Sunday school and church and so it
just seemed natural to slip
right back into my second family. I haven't left since.
I want to be salt. I want to be a different flavor than the rest of
the world. I want them to know
that something is different about me. I want to shine my light (the
light I reflect from Jesus). I
don't want to hide it. I am not ashamed that I went forward that day,
and I'm still not ashamed
to tell you that Jesus is my Lord and he saved me from my sin and hell by
dying on the cross for
me. That still doesn't mean I'm perfect. Not by far. But
at least now I try harder to get there.
I'm very blessed. I've seen Jesus make a huge difference in lives that
seemed hopeless to most
people. I've seen people healed when they were near death. I've
seen needs met out of the
strangest places. (They are really not all that strange though, because
I know God is in control.)
I've had dreams that have come true. I've been given songs from the
Holy Spirit to sing and write
down. I've felt discipline and chastisement when I do wrong.
I also feel heavenly smiles and
pleasure with me when I do as God wants. God is real to me. Jesus
is alive and well and the
Holy Spirit fills in my empty places.
Since I am salt, holding my light for you to see, I feel obligated to ask
you some questions...
Do you have empty places that the world can't fill with money, or alcohol,
drugs, sex, or power?
Do you wonder why you're here on this earth, AND for
such a short time?
Do you have
questions about life that you haven't been able to answer? Do you know
for certain that if you
died right here
and right now that your soul would spend eternity with God in heaven? Do you
know that a life time of good deeds and being an exceptional person won't
get you to heaven?
Do you know that the only way there, according to the bible, is by excepting
a free gift? Do you
like free gifts? I know you do because you always watch info-mercials
like I do to see what else
they're going to throw in with your Ginzu knife set! Jesus offers you
the free gift of salvation. If
you accept it, that's it. Your place in heaven is guaranteed.
It's really pretty simple. Too many
people make it more complicated than that.
If you want this gift, pray this prayer to Jesus right now...
"Jesus, I know I'm a sinner. I know that without you, I cannot make
it to heaven. My sin has
made me unclean in God's eyes, but you can cleanse me. You can
make me sparkling clean
again. You washed all of my sin away when you died for me on the cross.
You didn't have to...
You could have called angel armies down to earth to save you. But you
chose to remain on the
cross for me and save me from my sin because you loved me.
I believe that three days later, you
rose again defeating death and hell and that you are alive
in heaven right now.
I accept your free gift of salvation and I invite you into my heart to change
me into a new
creature. I love you and thank you for your sacrifice."
Amen.
That's it. Now find a christian church to go to this Sunday morning
and let the pastor know about
your decision. Let the whole congregation know. Let the whole
world know. Get in a good bible
study and stay there. Grow by learning from others, reading your bible
and praying. Lots and lots
of praying!
Be salt and don't hide your light. I'll try and do the same.
:)