Offer Jesus Instead of Seaweed to the World

Walking into my hotel room, I eyed the gift basket the women’s retreat ministry team had placed in my room.

I wasn’t starving, but decided to see what treats they’d provided.  After eyeing a dark chocolate covered almond, I popped it in my mouth. Spotting an unfamiliar package, I studied it:  Organic Roasted Seaweed Snacks, Sea Salt.”  Yum!  Seaweed – I’d never tasted it, but heard it was super healthy. Opening the bag, I removed the green cellophane packaging, appreciative that the lady who prepared the basket included healthy snacks. However, I was perplexed. Under the first piece of green cellophane, which was now getting my fingers oily, was another piece of green cellophane and another and another. Laughing at myself, I realized the “green cellophane” was the seaweed.

I was cautious. At an early age my mama taught me cellophane could kill a person. I can still hear her voice, “Don’t wrap that plastic around your face! It can suffocate you.”  I repeated her words to my children. Now, I was supposed to eat something that looked like it might choke me. I did what any reasonable person would do and put a tiny bit on the tip of my tongue. It tasted HORRIBLE. I thought about it and realized that many things had at first tasted horrible to me (Brussel sprouts, coffee, spinach) but now I love them. I attempted it again. It was once again horrible. Spitting it out, I wondered who in the world liked it. Fish! Fish must like it. But, since I’m not a fish, I don’t have to eat it. Tossing the snack in the trash, I wondered why anyone would buy it a second time. Then, it hit me. Someone who became familiar with it; who liked the taste. Maybe someone who grew up eating it.

Think About It

If we grew up in a home where organic roasted seaweed with sea salt was the snack our mothers gave us, we’d think it was normal.  “Seaweed! Come and get it,” she’d call and we’d come running. We’d love the pretty green rectangle. “Wipe your fingers,” she’d loving remind us to remove the greasy oil. And so, it would be natural and normal for us to eat seaweed. But what…. just what if we went to grandma’s house and she gave us a slice of sweet juicy watermelon?

What Believers Have to Offer

I recently read in the Kerrville Daily Times the following headline, “KPD busy with unattended deaths, drug busts.”  The lengthy article listed burglary of a vehicle, a woman threatened by a man holding a handgun, marijuana and drug paraphernalia inside a student’s room, theft, DWI, burglary of a habitation, domestic dispute between a mother-in-law and daughter-in-law in which  the mother-in-law was accused of pushing, putting her hands around her daughter-in-law’s neck and kicking her, more DWI, more thefts. The next day, I watched the YouTube parody “Sponsor A Millennial”… so they can live entitled lives. The bottom line, often we know and do what we grow up around. If we grow up eating seaweed, we eat salty seaweed until someone offers us sweet watermelon. If we grow up in a home where there’s pushing, kicking, stealing, and drugs, that’s likely what we’ll do until someone offers us Christ.

This Christmas season, as we meet and visit with friends and family who are discouraged, harried, or maybe even a little salty, we have the opportunity to share Christ’s sweetness.  And, with those who have never been introduced to Christ, we can share Him, the only One who can satisfy the soul.

“Taste and see that the LORD is good; blessed is the one who takes refuge in him,” Psalm 34:8.

Heavenly Father, thank You for the gift of Jesus and the sweetness of the Holy Spirit in our lives. Use us to share Your gifts of Christ’s love, peace, and joy with others.