(the formatting on this is a bit of a mess.... it won't let me fix it..... so I'll just let it be....) .... for now.
Salt.
Salt.
It adds flavor.
And when it is missing, it is hard to not notice.
It took nearly 3 weeks before I found the salt at the grocery store. Staying in a cardiac part of the hospital means that salt is not easily dispensed. And when you are too wimpy for the traditional spicy meals that are offered here in India on a regular basis, you are given the simple tray. The non-spicy tray. And last night, as I mixed in a little salt into the rice I felt a little conviction in my heart. K, more than a little conviction. I haven't been so content with the food. And I have been hearing the crescendo in my own heart of grumbling. Grumbling. And yet, realizing that I am given three meals a day. Three meals.
I found myself thinking of the Israelites wandering the desert eating the same thing every day.
And I realized that it had only been 23 days and already I found the grumbling note. * Argh. I would not have been a good Israelite. 23 days?!?!!? But, I'm thankful that God nudged my heart. And I'm thankful that I have a choice. To be thankful for the simple tray. It is food. It is nourishment. It satisfies.
And so, today on Day number 24, I am choosing to be thankful for the food.
And I am thankful for the salt that I found in the supermarket. Just so you know... in case you are EVER in India looking for salt. It is not located in the spice section. It was up against a wall on a shelf far away from the spices.
But never mind where it was found... it WAS found.
And speaking of salt.
Salt has another effect. It creates thirst.
It's a complex process... but a process nonetheless that results in THIRST.
And with that thirst comes the need to drink.
And depending on how much salt we contain, the demands on our body. .... our body adjusts the demand for water.
And that is exactly where I am going.
When I first arrived into India, I was surprised by how intense this country is.
I'm not slamming India. I am just saying that there is a constant hustle. LOTS of people. LOTS of spice. LOTS of horns honking. And LOTS Of language that I do not understand.
That coupled with little sleep, a sick little guy, and a process that was taking longer than expected.....
There were a few days were I was feeling overwhelmed.
And a friend back in Uganda gave me the BEST analogy ever!
Her husband cooked up a spicy meal. A type of spice where the spice only seemed to increase as more food was consumed. The jug on the table was refilled with water... and refilled... and refilled... and refilled... multiple times.
Everyone needed more water to soothe the spice that clung to to their mouths. Even if that spice was good...
And that analogy was true for me.
My typical time with Jesus was good. But, I was in a land of spice... a land of different.... a land foreign to me... and with that, I NEEDED more water. The water I was taking wasn't enough.
I NEEDED more. And that's what I have been trying to do. Being more intentional in drinking from the Living Water. And as I have nestled into my Jesus. The horns have still honked (do they ever!). The spice has still remained. I still don't understand a bit of the language. And the process has still been slower than I envisioned. But God. He has met me. And when I have forgotten that I am thirsty..... I find myself thinking of Salt, Spices, and Water.... and the NEED to get more Water from my God.
John 7:37
37 On the last day of the feast, the great day, Jesus stood up and cried out, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink.
And with that.... Let me grab my water.
And later on today... I think I am going to post another BLOG..... You will see why later.....
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