In 2006 I gave up New Year’s resolutions and decided to live a word instead. That year I learned to live grace. It wasn’t an easy word to learn, but it changed me. Forever.

I learned grace is an art, and in order to live it I had to give up thinking I knew the way everything should go and how people should live. People mess up. We can make it more complicated than that, but in the end, it’s simple.

We can’t be perfect. We can’t follow all of the rules. We can’t live untarnished.

It’s why Jesus died on the cross.

Some years later, in 2012, I chose to live salt. The reminder was constant…there are very few tables where salt isn’t present. I even bought a set of snazzy salt and pepper shakers for my own table (which until then was missing a set). I learned when living salt that it is noticed when it’s missing and a little goes a long way. It is also constant and consistent. 

When I came across this verse that included two of my past One Little Words, it caught my attention and I perked up a bit. It’s a verse about building relationships with others. It gives advice on conversation.

I think conversation can be tricky. Knowing what to say and when to say it is difficult and uncomfortable for many. A few years ago, I realized a lot of  people are uncomfortable when engaging in a conversation. I decided I could be the kind of person to make conversation feel comfortable. 

This isn’t always natural for me. I like to listen. I’m comfortable with questions and I love to listen to people’s stories. But, I’m learning conversation is about grace and salt. It’s giving and receiving.  Too much salt and my story will overwhelm and bore. Not enough grace and I miss the gift of other people’s stories.

It is grace and salt that I’m refining as I learn to connect more comfortably through conversation.(Connect was my word for 2011. I love how they are all coming together.)