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How I Learnt to take Work with a Pinch of Salt

Written by Yemima Adi, Indonesia

I was in a bad mood the other day. My department had not been asked to provide a report on what we did for an important meeting. Our main job was to collect and sort usable scrap materials such as plastic wrappers, plastic bottles and packaging paper, which we handed to another division that turned them into beautiful craft products. These products would then be packaged and distributed. It was a simple job that a few of us, with the help of volunteers, did. But we felt that it was important: Without the scrap materials, there would be no beautiful craft products.

But now, it appeared that my department would not be given a chance to tell others about the materials we collected or to highlight the efforts of our volunteers. We believed that sharing about our work could help us to better understand how the other departments worked, and to work with them more effectively to achieve their goals. It was frustrating to feel invisible.

When I reached home that day, I tried to cheer myself up by cooking. Gathering carrots, broccoli, potatoes, corn, tomatoes and chicken broth, I began to make a  simple soup. As the mixture came to a slow boil, I stirred the soup and tried a spoonful—only to find it tasteless. It was lacking salt, no wonder. Dropping in a few teaspoonfuls of salt, however, produced the taste I wanted.

As I placed the bowl of soup on the table, the bright colors of the vegetables stood out, but there was no visible evidence of the salt. It was then that it dawned on me: Though it was invisible, it was the salt that made the soup tasty.

The incident gave me a new perspective towards salt.

When Jesus said, “You are the salt of the earth” (Matthew 5:13), He was calling on us to make a positive impact on people around us, to influence others towards doing good and preventing evil.

But salt is invisible. Though it can’t be seen in food, and many people may forget it’s in almost everything they eat, salt is needed to make food tasty. Similarly, even though I may not be recognized for the work I do, Jesus has called on me to be a positive influence in the way I do my work—and to do it well, so that ultimately, others can enjoy the beautiful craft products.

I thank God for this simple but timely lesson.

Photo credit: PSC1121-GO / Foter / CC BY

 

 

1 reply
  1. Dionne
    Dionne says:

    God truly blesses us and guides us in times of low points in our life / day. So many of us want to be in the limelight, the front stage of serving God and His Kingdom, and we forget that not all of us are called to be in the limelight, but all of us are called to serve Christ and to strive to be like Him in our service. Thank you for sharing this revelation that you received from Him. God bless you!

    Reply

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