Nothing Wasted
Have you seen any YouTube videos about the homes that are “zero waste”? The concept is focused on ordering products that do not have plastic containers, wrappers or other types of non-biodegradable material, so your household is helping reduce the waste landfills are holding. It truly is fascinating, but for me- unrealistic.
I applaud those who can stick to a very strict regime and become hyper intentional when it comes to the products they purchase weekly. Sometimes as I watch the clips, I feel like forrest animals will appear at any moment and aid in this magical, “back to basics” way of living.
I; however, do not have the brain capacity to follow through with such a plan. I consider it a victory if I can just get my click list done for the week, and grab the groceries on time. Yes, we have garbage, and some weeks, we will fill a whole trash toter. I guess I get it honest from my childhood. My mom had a saying about our large amounts of garbage growing up. “What can I say, I guess we’re just trashy people.” Am I alone over here, friends?
Believe it or not, the concept of zero waste pops up in scripture. Although it’s not talking about an environmentally, friendly approach to living, we can still learn from the wisdom that was penned on parchment pages so long ago. In John chapter 6, verses 1-13, we are given an account of a story you will probably be familiar with, even if you didn’t grow up in church. The feeding of the 5,000.
Imagine it
Close your eyes and take in the smells, every sound, the heat and humidity of the day, and the sea of people surrounding you, as you try to listen to the man you find fascinatingly wonderful and mysterious all at the same time. You traveled miles outside of town, into a barren part of the land, because you heard He was there.
Your neighbor told you about His sermons. Words delivered with passion, power and authority; as if He was the very essence of everything proclaimed from His lips. Last week, in the market place, you overheard someone say this Rabbi had restored sight to a blind man. Who was He? Your curiosity, driving your desire and urging your footsteps to hasten, leads you to this moment.
As you sit on the grass, you look around and soak it all in, wishing to absorb every second, sensing within you, today- something is going to shift in my life. Eyes locked on His face, not because He was incredibly handsome, but the mere countenance emanating from Him was magnetic.
Hours passed, but to you it seemed merely a few minutes. The heat of the day was fading over the horizon and you realize, from the rumble of your stomach, it was past time for dinner. How could the time slip by so quickly? Never dreaming you would be out there so long, the thought of packing provisions was lost on you earlier that morning.
Other friends began to express the same thought, as everyone recalled it was a several hours journey back into town. You would all be famished. You watch, as Jesus calls to His disciples and they begin to discuss something in great earnest. Two of the men begin pointing to the massive crowd and expressing, what seems to be frustration, toward whatever the Rabbi had asked of them.
Another disciple brings up a small lad, holding his little lunch and presenting it to the Teacher. A pang of guilt washes over you, as you realize some mother was thinking ahead by packing food for her son. Today was not your day to have your wits about you, too much excitement overrode your brain to allow for practical thinking, as your stomach reminds you of the oversight.
Just as you are about to rise to begin the long, journey back home, Jesus tells everyone to remain seated in groups and wait for His followers to come around to serve you. You look around with confusion and wonder. Serve us what? There has to be thousands of people sitting across this field. Even a rich man would be strained to afford such abundance needed to feed so many.
Murmuring from the crowd, soft and low, echo your thoughts, but no one dare move. You watch, was one after another are served bread and fish from the baskets the men carry. A quick mental calculation, based on your proximity, reveals you will not be one of the fortune ones. As you wait; however, your eyes grow wide with amazement and wonder. The baskets never empty. How can this be?
Endless amounts of food are continuously pulled from the containers and shared among the people. Shock, is not strong enough a word to describe the emotion pulsing through your body. Your eyes scan the horizon, until you see Him. This man is like nothing you have ever encountered, and awe overwhelms your senses.
The realization that you have been given more than the satisfaction of a full stomach awakes your soul to a new stirring deep within. You have been touched by Yahweh, Himself. This has to be the long awaited Messiah, and nothing in your life from this moment forward, will ever be the same.
When they had all had enough, He said to His disciples, “Gather up now the fragments (the broken pieces that are left over), so that nothing may be lost and wasted.” (John 6:12 amp)
We are not told what they did with the broken, fragmented pieces. My guess, since they were basically homeless and living pay check to pay check, so to speak; is they kept the leftovers to help feed themselves for a couple more days of ministry. Waste not, want not.
But what about the greater context? How about the broken, smashed, ground to dust pieces in your life? Those parts, hanging around in the passenger side mirror for far too long, with the constant warning, hauntingly teasing- “Objects in mirror are closer than they appear.”
It’s like you cannot get the distance you really want from the junk in your past. You keep sweeping and mopping, but the mess doesn’t get any smaller. You dig holes, shove it in closets with lock and key, decorate with it so it will blend in and not be as noticeable, but it’s like a bad dream you're unable to awaken from.
Dear friends, Jesus looks at the fragmented remains of our terrible decisions and says, “Give them to Me, because in My hands nothing is lost or wasted.”
Don’t believe me? It’s difficult, I know.
The woman at the well had been married five times, until she just gave up and started living and sleeping with a man she wasn’t married to. Christ gave her Living Water and she began a revival in her village. (John 4)
Saul was hellbent to squash the blasphemous movement called “The Way” and he didn’t care how many men, women and children he imprisoned or killed do it. Jesus snatched him up, blinded him physically, so he could see spiritually and created one of the world’s most effective evangelists. (Acts 9)
Mary was tormented in mind, body and spirit. Completely given over to the powers of darkness, she allowed herself to house seven demonic entities, and engaged in all manner of sin and filth. When she encountered Jesus Christ, the Light penetrated the darkness, causing it to flee and she became one of His closest disciples. She even had the privilege of being the first of the followers to see Him resurrected. (Luke 8)
So what about you?
Don’t tell me God can do it for them, but He can’t do it for you.
Our Lord has a miraculous way of gathering everything we thought was destroyed in our lives and crafted it into something gloriously beautiful.
The tears will turn into triumph.
The heartbreak will morph into healing.
The pain will be transformed into purpose.
Our God runs a zero waste household. When we allow the Master Artist to craft and mold a new creation out of us, the end result is breath taking. What should have been landfill fodder, is transformed into something meaningful and lasting, but we have to allow the work to be completed.
I am convinced, we listen to the lies of the devil who tells us our past is beyond repair, and we fold. We sit, lay down and just die. Has it ever crossed your mind, the reason you hear the voices telling you to give up because you are worthless, is actually a grand deception, stemming from the fact Satan knows what you will become, if you surrender your life to be reworked by God?
Come out from under the lie. Fall into the beautiful hands that formed you in your mother’s womb. Move away from chaos and walk in meadows with peaceful, still waters. You were formed from the very beginning with a destiny. Don’t allow the hater of your soul to trick you into believing you cannot be used to do mighty things for the Kingdom because you have some junk in your past.
Moses committed murder. God used him to free a nation from slavery.
David slept with another man’s wife and then had him killed to cover up his sin. The Lord took his bloodline and birthed the Messiah through it, all while calling David a man after God’s own heart.
Rahab was a prostitute, but that didn’t stop the Father from using her to save His people, conquer their enemies, and oh yeah- she was part of the lineage of Jesus Christ as well.
Don’t tell me you’re too broken.
He will use you. Every single, tiny, minuscule part you think is gruesome and grotesque, stains set so deep, you believe they can never be lifted or colors too faded to recognize, are just the mediums He needs to construct a masterpiece.
Give it to Him.
Allow Him to work.
For with God, nothing is lost or wasted.