What God Does With Trash
This morning, as per my usual routine, I went for a walk outside, in order to get in my 10k steps for the day.
Someone has said something to the effect that if you are in need of creativity, you should go out for a walk; “angels whisper to a man (or old woman, in this case) when he goes out walking.”
(discovered the author and full quote on Pinterest)
I can’t speak as to hearing the voice of angels, but I can speak to the fact that I seem to have thoughts that often remind me of something the Lord might say to me.
That kinda-sorta happened today.
As I walked, I began picking up trash alongside the road.
I gathered a substantial amount and wished I had brought a trash bag to hold it all.
This morning’s haul consisted of cans, a little wheel (like might be on a suitcase), several pieces of wire (barbed and non), a dime, a piece of bone picked clean and whitened from the sunshine, two pieces of a straw, a glittery bow from off some gift at some time, a few pieces of glass…
Tomorrow I need to go back with a trash bag, I couldn’t carry it all.
I found myself talking to myself (should I be worried?) as I journeyed home “full-of-hands” (as our son, Adam, used to say when he was a small child).
It went something like this:
“Whatcha gonna do with all this trash you’ve collected.”
“Well, duh, throw it in the rubbish bin.”
“Maybe you could create something out of all this garbage. There are people who take trash and turn it into art.”
I knew that.
I’ve seen one such structure created out of items that have washed ashore in my hometown of Bandon, OR.
In DIA, Terminal B, there is a hanging art sculpture made out of lost luggage and other lost items (picture courtesy of “tomtom303,”who created this structure).
I, however, am no artist, and do not have ANY creativity; yet, I’m feeling a tug to do something with this discarded junk.
Here’s why…
Sometimes, we can feel discarded, of little value, worthless, like “junk…”
Yet, the Lord, who created us, loves us, treasures us, doesn’t just gather us up from the side of the road and throw us away. He still has a plan for us when we surrender ourselves into His creative hands.
The Lord is good at “taking trash and turning it into a treasure.”
With that, I remembered, again, the Hosea and Gomer love-story from last week.
She definitely had to feel the way I just described.
If you recall, Gomer walked away from her loving husband to chase other “lovers.” She is an allegorical figure who reminds us that we do the same to the Lord – we look to “other things” to fulfill, satisfy, bring contentment, and pleasure.
As I continued the story, I discover Gomer’s lovers got tired of her, and placed her up on an auction block to be sold as a slave (naked and ashamed).
There’s a lesson to be learned here:
Whatever we turn to besides the Lord will make slaves of us all…and strip us bare, leaving us in shame.
There stands Gomer waiting to be sold, no doubt feeling like trash, certainly discarded, used-up, and of little value (the best price a female slave (in her prime) might be sold for according to Leviticus 27 is 30-shekels.
BUT GOD…the two most hopeful words in the entire Bible!
Do you know what Homer (her prophet husband) is told to do? Here it is….
“The Lord said to me, ‘Go again, love a woman who has been loved by another man and is an adulteress, even as the Lord loves Israel, though they turn to other gods…’ (Hosea 3:1).”
Buy her back. Redeem her.
Thus, Homer does, for the whopping price of 15 shekels of silver, with a little barley thrown in, as well (commentaries I’ve looked at said the 15 shekels of silver, plus the barley may have been worth the full price of 30-pieces of silver).
In the midst of all the back and forth conversations between Homer and God and Gomer…we learn this truth from the Lord:
“I will betroth you to me forever. I will betroth you to me in righteousness, justice, steadfast love (HESED), and in mercy. I will betroth you to me in faithfulness…and you will know the Lord. And, in that day, you will call me, ‘My Husband’ (Hosea 2:16, 19).”
In spite of us. In spite of how we turn away. In spite of the slavery we fall into when we turn our eyes. In spite of our prone-to-wander-hearts, God loves us with steadfast love, faithfulness, righteousness, justice and mercy. He woos us to Himself. He draws near to us. He speaks tenderly to us (Hosea 2:14-15).
God masterfully turns ashes into beauty.
He turns slaves into brides.
He takes us from the land of trouble (the Valley of Achor in Hosea 2) to a place of triumphant victory.
He removes us from despair and opens for us a door of hope (Hosea 2).
He picks up the garbage and creates a new creation glory-worthy.
What a story!!!
Hmmmm…..someday maybe I’ll make that creation of art out of all that rubbish I picked up today, if for no other reason that to let this message be driven home into my heart day in and day out.
XXXXXXX
PS. Remember the price Judas betrayed Jesus for? Yes, that’s right, 30 pieces of silver! Jesus’ life (to Judas) was worth the same price Homer paid for Gomer, BUT…that price meant redemption for all of us…
NOT JUST REDEMPTION, RESTORATION
(something new birthed out of the old!)
Hallelujah!
We are, truly, an Easter people and Hallelujah is our song!
-Augustine-