Salt of the Earth

January 2, 2023
Islamorada Florida

The locals call it paradise!

My husband and I decided that this trip would be our Christmas gift to each other. It would be a wonderful, restful way to start the new year after all the hustle and bustle of the holiday season.

The drive is only about an hour and a half from our home in Cooper City, Florida. Forgetting that Florida is now the number one tourist destination this time of year, while the majority of the country is in the midst of the cold of winter, our trip took more than twice as long as usual due to traffic. But, I was determined to not let the inconvenience steal my joy….That is until we finally arrived.

The check-in line was long and I was thirsty (but not for a complimentary rum punch that was offered). I just wanted to settle in my room and enjoy the ocean view from our balcony. After finally checking in, they said the room would not be ready for a while. It was already 4pm and it was supposed to be ready. On top of that, we had problems with the price match we were offered by booking.com. Nothing comes easy I thought, feeling annoyed. I could feel my joy slipping away.

Instead of recognizing this as a test of my faith, I bought into the lie. After walking around the extensive property with all of its water related amenities, I procured a glass of water at a tiki bar on the beach. Deciding to go back in and wait in the air conditioned lobby for the text stating our room is ready, I thought I’d check out the reviews on the place. I found recent complaints of dirty sheets and baby roaches, and feeling increasingly irritated, I gave that devil a big foothold into my mind.

That’s it, I thought, I’m going to be persistent and call the desk from my seat in the lobby and press for my room. After all, it was way past check-in time, and there was no way I was going to wait on that line again to ask.

So, my tone and attitude reflected my feelings; in my persistence, the desk clerk switched our room to one that was readily available. However my test of faith also persisted. Yes, I had to wait in that line again to get my keys. My last snooty word was, my review will reflect this!

And then the Holy Spirit convicted my heart that this was not behavior worthy of His calling! I felt humiliated and asked the Father again for forgiveness, remembering the blood ofJesus that was shed for my sin. I repented of my behavior, and began to praise Him for His goodness and forgiveness. From that moment on our short little getaway was blessed!

However, I couldn’t resist checking the sheets for cleanliness and the floor for bugs and low and behold, I found it all met my satisfaction. Every time we had to drive onto the one-lane parking lot that goes all the way to Key West, the Lord  provided a way on and off without testing my patience. It was miraculous. At every overcrowded restaurant, our Lord provided the perfect and only available parking spot right by the door. It was truly amazing. I was undeserving of such kindness, but that is our God. He is a good, good Father who likes to give good gifts to his children.

“See how very much our Father loves us, for he calls us his children, and that is what we are! But the people who belong to this world don’t recognize that we are God’s children because they don’t know him.” 1 John 3:1 NLT

Awaiting the Dawn

On the third and last day of our trip, I was out on my balcony before dawn journaling my prayers. My newly organized prayer journal is such a delight to my soul. But that is a blog for another day.

I looked out at the dark sky, patiently waiting to see the beautiful sun rise over the ocean. The mist was salty, I felt clammy and sticky. I could feel the frizz in my hair as I ran my fingers through it. I started thinking about how uncomfortable the beach makes me feel. My mind went to an upcoming outdoor formal event I would be attending in February, and I started thinking about how the damp evening air might negatively affect the smooth hairstyle I wanted to wear.

Oh my goodness, I wasn’t even there yet and already I’m getting annoyed about not having perfect hair. Really Nance, I thought, get it together! Take those thoughts captive to the obedience of Christ. Immediately, a Bible verse from the day before came to mind:

Go away Satan, for it is written you shall only worship the Lord our God. (Those were the words spoken by Jesus when He was tempted by the devil in the wilderness after fasting for forty days and nights.)

I remembered that the reason I was sitting outside in the first place was to worship the Lord and marvel at the splendor of His majesty, not listen to the lies of the devil. So, I proceeded with journaling my praise to God for who He is. I asked him to search my heart for all anxious and impure thoughts, so I might be able to hear His voice. I was once again taken back to that sticky feeling of the salt on my skin and I heard another Bible verse in my mind.

“You are the salt of the earth. But what good is salt if it has lost its flavor? Can you make it salty again? It will be thrown out and trampled underfoot as worthless.” Matthew 5:13 NLT

I realized that there is great significance in salt, a holy significance! The first disciples Jesus’ called were fishermen, Old Saltys as a famous writer once penned. How interesting it is that Jesus chose fishermen to be among the first to bring the Good News to the ends of the earth.

This made me smile in the middle of the conflict that Satan was trying to inflict. Salt is good! I shall not repel the goodness of God… go away Satan in Jesus name, I said. And he left! It was as simple as that!

I began to thank God for this salty feeling, clamminess and all. I was being seasoned by the Holy Spirit with holy salt to give me fresh revelation and understanding. Instead of being concerned with my imperfect hair, I should be more concerned with my imperfect heart, I thought. And I was once again grateful for the shed blood of our Savior.

As the misty, salty air blew on me, I was reminded of the purifying and healing qualities of salt. And again, the Bible verse about being the salt of the earth came back to my mind. If we loose our saltiness as Christ followers, that which is left would be bland and tasteless. The world would not know joy, nor peace. It would be a loveless world without goodness or kindness, gentleness or faithfulness. There would be no patience or self control. For these things are the fruit of the Spirit that one acquires from living a life in Christ. The fruit of the Spirit that Christians are to model are a delight to the palate of those around us. When seasoned with salt, its flavor is maximized and the world is a better place.

So, In my deep reflection, I prayed: Lord please don’t let me loose my saltiness. You know my heart Lord, as for me and my house, we shall serve you alone, and hopefully with extra salt! Then, at that last word, the sun rose, and I was basking in the light of my Savior, taking in the salty air with great pleasure. It all came together in my spirit in poetic fashion.

My prayer for you is that you ask the Father to search your heart too, to show you your anxious thoughts and see if there is any grievous way in you, and then lead you in His way everlasting. (Psalm 139: 23-24)

Benefits of Salt for the Body, Skin and Hair

As I stated earlier, salt is good; too much maybe not so much, but then, too much of anything is not good for you. According to facty.com, salt has some important benefits to our body. It is hydrating! Water loves salt. Sodium and potassium work together to regulate water balance inside and outside cells in the body. If you lack salt you can become dehydrated, too much and it can cause bloating.

The right amount of salt is essential to our heart. Too much salt can cause high blood pressure, too little can cause low blood pressure. Salt contributes to our brain’s electrical impulses. Our muscles need salt in the form of electrolytes, which is a unique balance of sodium, magnesium, potassium and chloride. Muscle cramps or spasms can mean you need more electrolytes in your body. (That’s why Gatorade was created.) Salt is also important in digestion, as it’s a major component in stomach acid. And salt also has great benefits to oral hygiene in reducing swelling. Who doesn’t remember gargling with salt water for a sore throat, or rinsing your mouth with it for sore or swollen gums.

Growing up as a teenager, coping with pimples and black heads, I always found a swim in the ocean helped clear up my skin. The blackheads (clogged pore with a black spit in it) required a little more effort than just swimming in sea water. My mom would have me steam my face for a few minutes to open the pores. Then she made a paste with a little table salt and a few drops of water. I gently massaged it around the blackheads for a few minutes and rinsed it off with hot water. Some would be gone right away, and others that were bigger or deeply embedded would be ready to easily extract.

This can be challenging if you don’t know how to do it properly. (A comedone extractor is probably your best bet.) But if you don’t have one on hand, use clean tissues wrapped around your index fingers, press down and apart with the pads of your fingers on either side of the blackhead to remove it. Never squeeze the skin together around the blackhead. You can break the capillaries and cause damage especially if you use your finger nails. The bottom line here is that salt draws out the impurities in your skin. By the way whiteheads are called milia. Salt will not help open those pores. Never squeeze or attempt to get rid of these on your own. Milia should be taken care of by a dermatologist or an esthetician.

If you are anything like me (bothered by the effects of the dampness on your freshly blow-dried hair), I suggest a high-humidity hair style. Whenever I blow my wavy hair smooth, the humidity causes it to wave back up in some areas or even get frizzy. A high-humidity hairstyle is one that works better in humidity and beach air, even a misty rain (but unfortunately, not a downpour). So, if you have wavy or curly hair and are attending an outdoor event when it is damp or humid, wear your hair in a natural dried style. Salt spray can enhance your natural waves or curls. It even works on seemingly straight hair with the help of some hair spray to hold the style. There are many types available. A favorite of mine is OGX Argan Oil of Morocco Hair-Texturing Sea Salt Spray. (Available on Amazon)

So, there you have some of the benefits of salt. That’s all she wrote for now friends. I hope you enjoyed this blog and found it helpful or encouraging in some way. And I hope this new year is off to a good start for each of you. My word for 2023 was “Hope”  and naturally my hope is in Jesus; may yours be too. God loves you and so do I!