Salt of the Earth

On our last day to experience Haiti, we had a day full of places and people to go and to see. Breakfast was fabulous as it had been all week and our spirits were up, excited about the day. Shortly after breakfast we hopped in the van for what was to be a short drive to the beach. A 15 minute drive turned into a 45 minute drive.
Matthew 5:13
You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled by men.
The beach was breathtaking. Small pebbles covered the shore of the most ice teal blue water I have ever seen surrounded by mountains. The waves didn’t roar like the Carolina coast, but flowed through pebbles making a calming sound all its own.

Jeremiah 31:35
This is what the Lord says, he who appoints the sun to shine by day, who decrees the moon and stares to shine by night, who stirs up the sea so that its waves roar- the Lord Almighty is his name:
Your breath (inhaling and exhaling) is similar to the flow of an ocean. The slower your breath is the slower your heart is. The crashing waves of the Carolina coast resemble a hard exhale. Haiti’s coast of a soft flow is a replica of a calm, gentile, slow relaxing breath. In a world of such hurt and devastation Haiti’s shore resembles peace and a sense of controlled calmness.
Matthew 5:14-16
“You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.”
As I sat on the pebbled beach I soaked in memories and moments, thoughts and questions, that had collected throughout the week. I wondered how a place so picture perfect could outline a place of destruction. I thought, we shouldn’t even be at the beach, having a good time laughing and sitting in paradise when not even a mile away lives a family hurting, hungry, lonely and lost.
Isaiah 25:1
O Lord, you are my God; I will exalt you and praise your name; for in perfect faithfulness you have done marvelous things, things planned long ago.

Haitian men came to haggle us to buy things, most having the same stuff. One guy came by with the largest crab I have ever seen, still kicking. Gregg purchases the crab and the guy takes it down the beach to cook it. Gregg gets all of the Haitian guys that work for him and send them down the beach to enjoy the freshly cooked crab. For a few minutes those 5 or 6 guys enjoy a gift they more than deserve. The site of it warmed my heart and made be smile inside. Thank you, Gregg, for loving Haiti.
1 John 3:23
And this is his command: to believe in the name fo his Son, Jesus Christ, and to love one another as he commanded us.