Re-use

I seem to have spent a lot of time at the local rubbish tip recently.

After 14 years living in the same house, we moved home a few weeks ago. I always thought that we were not too bad when it comes to hoarding rubbish. Moving opens your eyes to the reality of just how much junk you keep.

I could tell that I was becoming a too frequent visitor to the tip when, the staff at the gate greeted me with a cheery “what have you brought us now?”

It was on one of my regular visits I encountered a lady that I had not seen before. She was wearing a high-viz tabard with the words “Re-User” printed on. It turns out, her job is to sift through the rubbish and remove from it anything that be taken and used elsewhere.

I was impressed!

I am part of the generation that grew up watching The Wombles and, here she was, a real life Womble! She collected some wooden lawn edging that I had thrown away, and carried it back to her burrow (not quite a burrow – a container with the word “Re-Use” on the side). She then returned to the skips and collected somebody’s old bathroom cabinet.

Nothing wasted. All destined to be “Re-used.”

Life is full of experiences, some are good and some less so. I wonder what we do with them? I know some of my past experiences have been painful and I don’t want to re-visit them they still affect me. The temptation is, to throw them away, pretend they never happened.

I wonder if, perhaps, my approach to the sad times needs to change a little. Rather than throwing them out, maybe, the memories can be “re-used.” There are lessons to be learnt. Forgiveness to be given (and received). Healing to come.

And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.

Romans 8 vs. 28

If we allow God, by the presence of his Holy Spirit, to work within us, who knows what he can take and “re-use” from our lives for his glory and our blessing.