A Short Story

Knock! Knock! Knock!

Sarah knocked the door again for what it seems like the third time. It seems strange that no one is at home at Daddy’s house on a sunny Saturday afternoon.

Turning back to rest her back on the wall, she took notice of the well parked Blue Mercedes Benz Car parked in the garage. Probably, Mummy is in the kitchen while Daddy is in his study room.

She laughed.

Funny how she had come to know the family of Martins so much just barely after 3 months of meeting Mrs. Martins. She had walked up to Mrs. Martins after a powerful ministration at the program organized by the “Young, Yielded and Youthful (YYY) ministry. Ever since that fateful Saturday, Mrs. Martins has become her adopted Big Mummy.

The door opened slightly and the face of Daddy Martins shone in the light.

“Sarah my dear. It’s you at the door. I’m sorry jare. I was so caught up in the book I was reading in the study that I didn’t hear you knocking on time.” He said as he opened the door wide for Sarah to pass through.

Not forgetting her manners, Sarah knelt down in front of him. “Good afternoon sir. I was less busy at home and just felt I should come by.”

“You know you are always welcome, Sarah. Your big mummy is in the kitchen doing what she loves most. I bet you can guess what that is already.” Both of them laughed.

“I will go join her.”

Walking down the passage to the kitchen at the far end, Sarah could hear Mrs. Martins singing from the kitchen. One of the many things Sarah loved about her is how she balances her family and her ministry. During one of their talks on the phone, she had told Sarah that she promised God she will never let her marriage suffer for the sake of her ministry.

Entering the kitchen, Sarah joins in the song to announce her presence.

“Oh may all who come behind us find us faithful

May the fire of our devotion light their way

May the footprints that we leave

Lead them to believe

And the lives we live inspire them to obey

Oh may all who come behind us find us faithful.”

“Hehehe. What’s Big mummy cooking today? My mouth is salivating already o”. Sarah said jokingly. She moved closer to her with her nose in the air pretending to savour the aroma of the food.

“Well, I just finished cooking a fish sauce to eat with the rice still on the fire. Please pass me the salt there. It’s right behind you”.

“oh here it is ma’am”.

“Humnn. Big Mummy, something dropped in my mind now as you were putting salt in the rice”. Sarah said. Her face suddenly turned serious.

“Okay. I’m all ears dear”.

“Have you ever wondered that, what if there were no salt in the world?”

“That is a deep question, Sarah”

“Salt is an essential ingredient for the well-being of humans. I can’t even begin to imagine what the world will be like without them. The world would be in a disastrous state – even worse of a mess that it already is.”

“Hmn…” Sarah said in deep thoughts. “And then, Jesus said in Matt 5:13 that we are the salt of the earth”.

Exactly. You see the world is in a mess already Usually, you wouldn’t enjoy your meal without adding a little bit of salt. A wonderful thing about salt is that anytime you add it to a food, it is right. There are times when you may forget to put your salt either before or after cooking, you know you can still add it later while you are getting ready to eat.

Every Christian, just like a church, is called to flavor every aspect of life and culture, countering the impact of sin and evil, making this world a better place for us to thrive.”

“Your lives are like salt among the people to bring out the God’s flavors of this earth. Buf if you, like salt, become bland, how can your “saltiness” be restored? Flavourless salt is good for nothing and will be thrown out and trampled.”

Sarah nodded her head taking in every bit of words to heart.

“That is to say you are never out of relevance as a Christian. Thank you Holy Spirit.

May I never lose my relevance even on this earth in the mighty name of Jesus”

Gbam!

“My dear, It is only a salt that has not lost its saltiness that can be relevant at all times. Besides the Scripture made it clear that nothing good can come out of a salt that has lost its flavor. Such is not good for anything any longer but to be thrown out and trodden underfoot by men.

It is possible for salt to be in a food and you do not taste it. That seasoning is pretty worthless and of no use to anyone even to its manufacturer.

When a salt loses its saltiness, it means it has lost its strength, its quality, its purpose.

It is good for nothing and has become worthless. It is thrown out and people trample upon it.

The appearance of a salt but none of its usefulness can be very disappointing. This is why Jesus wants us to maintain our salty distinctiveness so that we might continue to have an impact upon the wider world.

A little bit of salt goes a long way as well as a little bit of Christianity in your lifestyle goes a long way to those observing it.”

Sarah had never thought of how important this verse was in the life of every Christian.

“Yes, Mummy. You are very right.” Sarah said as she passed a long spoon across to Mrs. Martins.

“Every time you introduce salt, it can stop a food from going bad. If you want to preserve a food, just add salt and leave it.”

Collecting the spoon from her, Mrs. Martins turned the tap to cleanse it of every dirt. You dare not bring any utensils in direct contact with food in Big Mummy’s house.

“What else do you think makes a food begin to rot? When a thing begins to rot, three(3) major things happen automatically.

“I am following you ma.”,

“Firstly, it is no longer tasty as it used to be before. A salt-less meal is a blandless meal. Can you the reason why I always say my favourite prayer point everyday?

My Father, let nothing ever make me lose your purpose for me on this earth.”

“Hmnnn.”

“Also, the sight of such food becomes unpleasant. That is when you begin to see maggots feeding on it.

This last point is a very critical one. The food begins to smell. You don’t need to come close to it before you perceive the bad odour. As long as you are within the environment of such bad food, you just can’t miss the bad smell.”

“Big Mummy. These are very powerful rhema you are dropping o. But then, I was trying to fathom what makes a food that once was fresh begins to spoil?

Mummy, if many Christians how bad it becomes to lose one;s flavor, they would do everything they can to make sure that flavor is not lost.”

Laughter from Big Mummy erupted in the room.

“My dear, you’ve said the answer already. A food that is not well preserved will surely get spoilt. The key is Preservation.”

Absent-mindly, Sarah put her left hand to hold her jaw as she said, “ Hmnn. Preservation”

“Yes.

When your tomorrow becomes worse than your yesterday, there was no salt to preserve it.

You step into a dimension of spirit and it does not last.

It is painful to once be rich!

It is painful to once be anointed!

It is painful to once be a man of prayer!

It is painful to once be a useful member in the Church!

It is painful and very disastrous to once used to be a man of Prayer. That is when you begin to hear people say, “I used to be a very powerful man of prayer. I used to lay hands on the sick and they get healed. I used to see visions. I used to hear from God clearly”.

How many people admire their yesterday? They talk too much about the days of the past.

If I were you, I would intensify my prayers.

Father, please preserve my honour!

Don’t you know that it is even better to not have a thing that to have a taste of it. It is better you did not have it.

If you prepare a turkey for me, no matter how tantalizing it may look, I will detest immediately I taste that it has no salt in it.”

Falling on the chair in the kitchen, tears streamed down Sarah’s cheeks.

“Ah! Lord, I ask for the grace to manifest as salt in my life.

Father, preserve my honour.

Help me Lord. I refuse to lose my taste and become a bad sight in your presence.

I refuse to lose my taste and have a bad smell on my generation.

Lord, preserve my flavor.

Let nothing take you away from me.

Sarah was praying as Mama put off the fire from under the rice. On the shelf just beside the cooker was where the plates hanger is. She brought out three (3) bowls and began to dish the meal.