On our road-trip back from our vacation this March Break, my husband and I stumbled across a radio station playing a pastor’s Sunday sermon. It was a lively sermon and the way the pastor spoke beckoned us to lean in and listen closely. We didn’t catch his name...but we did catch the message he was sharing with his congregation. He was speaking on Jesus’ words in Matthew 5 and shared something I had never reflected on about this verse before.

In Grade Two this month, we are focusing on Jesus’ Ministry during His time on Earth….and the verse the pastor preached on is part of our Memory Work for the month of March! It always makes me smile when things I’m teaching in classroom are directly related to things taking place in my own walk with the Lord. This was the verse: Matthew 5:13a, (NIV) “You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again?” {Maybe you’ll join us in memorizing this portion of the verse this week...}

Here is a paraphrase of what I took away from the pastor’s message. With his southern drawl and a few “Hallelujah! and Amens!” added for emphasis, he said this: “If we are called to be the salt of earth, then we should be making people thirsty.” This resonated with me. It reminds me that in all of my words and all of my actions, I can share the truth of Jesus. We should be living our lives in such a way that people become thirsty for more – thirsty for the Living Water. Jesus is the only one who will quench all of our thirstiness – once and for all. This is good news!

As you walk and talk with God, will you share this message of Living Water with those around you this week?

                                                                                                           Kristen Vanderploeg