The Salt in the Soup: A Billy & Suzie Story About Being Tempted

Billy was quiet all the way home from the library. Mom glanced in her rearview mirror to see if he was reading, but he wasn’t. He stared out the window with a blank face. Later he fidgeted with his hangnails. When they got home, Suzie carried her book bag to the living room and dumped all her books onto the floor and immediately started reading.

Billy shuffled to his room and dropped his backpack beside his bed, then kicked it a couple times so it went mostly under the bed—it was kind of messy under there, so it didn’t fit all the way. Then he went downstairs and asked Mom if he could help her with anything.

That was unusual any day, but especially on library day. Mom wondered what was up. Instead of asking, she said, “Would you like to learn how to make vegetable soup? You love to eat it, but you’ve never helped me make it. Aunt Patsy sent me some alphabet noodles from her gourmet cooking shop. We could put those in it. Does that sound good for dinner?”

Billy’s face brightened. He would rather play video games for days, read sci fi books for hours, sketch, talk—anything besides cook or clean. Especially clean. But for some reason, making that soup sounded awesome, and who could resist alphabet noodles?

Mom taught Billy how to chop onions and carrots with the food chopper and how to make a roux (pronounced roo) with melted butter and a little flour. That made the broth just thick enough and succulent smelling. They threw in tender pieces of beef, lots of veggies, and the alphabet noodles. Every few minutes they stirred the soup and finally it was time to sample it. 

“Eew,” Billy crowed when he put a spoonful of the soup into his mouth. “Something is missing, Mom! That doesn’t taste like your soup. I don’t do anything right.” Mom could tell that Billy was holding back tears, but she didn’t think that leaving salt out of the soup on purpose would cause that bad of a reaction. She just wanted to use it as an opportunity to teach Billy something.

“Whoa, wait a second,” Mom consoled. “You didn’t make this soup alone. You did everything I told you to do. Here, put this in.” Mom handed Billy a small spoonful of regular salt mixed with seasoned salt and garlic salt—her special blend. She continued, “I left out the salt on purpose. I wanted you to see that it takes every ingredient—every little part, even the ones that seem invisible, to make the soup good. Once you stir this in and the soup simmers a little longer, it will be just right.”

Billy turned and faced the pot. He poured the salt in the soup and kept stirring it nervously. “Billy, I think something is missing from you this afternoon. Something you think is invisible but I can see it. Do you want to talk about it?”

Billy kept stirring the pot. He didn’t say anything. Mom put her hand over his and took the spoon out of the pot. She put the lid on and turned the heat way down to let the soup simmer until dinner time. “Thanks for helping me make dinner, Billy. I always enjoy time with you,” Mom said. “You can play or read now if you want.”

Billy didn’t make eye contact with Mom. He started walking out of the kitchen. Then he walked back in and grabbed his mom’s hand. “I have something to show you,” he said. He pulled his mom to his room. He wrestled his backpack from under his bed and unzipped it. He pulled out the books he had checked out and then one he hadn’t put in the check-out stack. 

He had taken it from the library. It was a book from a series that his parents didn’t want him to read. They had explained that it had concepts in it that they didn’t want him to expose himself to. They wanted him to keep his mind pure and follow God’s standards.

“I took this from the library,” Billy said. Tears filled his eyes and ran down his cheeks. “You told me to stay away from it, but I was curious. My friends talk about it. I want to fit in. I knew you wouldn’t let me check it out, so I took it. I was going to give it back. I didn’t intend to keep it. But I read a few pages when we first got in the car. I hid it inside another book so Suzie wouldn’t see it. It made me feel gross and nervous and scared. I can’t get the picture of what I read out of my head. It’s kind of like the salt in the soup. It is invisible but it is there. I don’t want that kind of stuff in my head. Can you please take it and give it back?”

Normally, Mom and Dad made Billy and Suzie face their mistakes. Both children had to go to people directly to say I’m sorry or to pay for something broken or stolen. For a second, Mom wondered whether she should make Billy give the book back to the librarian, but Mom could tell Billy just wanted it out of his life. He was feeling so much conviction and sadness, she didn’t want to make the memories linger. 

Mom took the book and tucked it under her arm. She wrapped her arms around him and hugged him tight. He nestled his head under her chin. She smelled like a wonderful mixture of vegetable soup and her favorite perfume. She didn’t say anything for a minute or two, then she whispered, “Thank you for having the courage to talk with me, Billy. You know what else is invisible but more powerful than our mistakes? God’s grace. Grace is when you receive love and forgiveness instead of punishment. Grace is what Jesus bought with His sacrifice on the cross. Grace is invisible, but it is powerful enough to redeem bad thoughts and memories and regrets. I’ve done wrong things out of curiosity and wanting to fit in, too.”

Billy pulled back and looked at Mom. “You have?” he asked.

“Yeah. Haven’t I ever told you why Aunt Patsy sends me those alphabet noodles?” Mom snickered.

Billy smiled and shook his head.

“Well, you know the people who go to her store are usually rich. When I visited, I often saw the little girls all dressed up in pretty plaid dresses shop with their mothers or grandmothers. They always begged for the alphabet noodles—and got them. One day I couldn’t stand it any longer—I wanted those noodles. I wondered what they tasted like. I wanted to be like a little rich girl. So I put on an apron and pretended to help sweep. I hid a box in the apron pockets and “forgot” to take the apron off when I went home. I told my mom that Aunt Patsy had given them to me. My mom thanked her on the phone a few days later, and my Aunt showed me grace. She told my mom, ‘Why, yes, I told her she could pick something for helping me sweep.’ 

“My mom knew my Aunt well enough to know she was making it up. My mom made me take money out of my piggy bank to pay her back, but she would not take the money. I was embarrassed and crying and thanked her for trying to cover over my mistake. She pulled me up on her lap and said, ‘Honey, if I had known you wanted those noodles, I would have given them to you. If you are ever curious about anything, if you ever want anything, ask me. Ask God. Usually things we want or are curious about are connected to something in our heart—wanting to fit in or wanting to feel special. Don’t feel you have to sin. Just admit your curiosity. Be honest about your needs. If you do that, I’ll make sure you get a box of alphabet noodles every time.’ I never forgot that lesson. It really helped me as a teenager. Sometimes I admitted temptations I had to Aunt Patsy that I wouldn’t dare tell anyone and it helped me to talk through them and realize the root of what was drawing me to those things. Then I could say no to them with more strength. And every time, she has made good on her promise to give me a box of alphabet noodles.”

Billy sucked in a deep breath of air and his eyes got big. “That means you talked to her about something recently!” Billy said.

“Yep, even adults still get curious or want to fit in,” Mom said. “So you can thank my tempted heart for your good dinner! Speaking of that, we’d better go check on it.” She gave Billy one more squeeze and they went to stir the soup.

Family Worship Time

• Read the story.

• Read Hebrews 4:12-16.

• Ask: What was Billy curious about in the story? Why did Aunt Patsy give Billy’s mom alphabet noodles? What is grace? Hebrews 4 talks about how God’s Word helps us get right with God when we have sinned. It also talks about how Jesus comforts us. Why can we talk to God without fear when we have sinned?

© 2026 by Kristen White

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