Scraps

It doesn’t happen often, but last night I took the time to do some extra cooking after dinner.  My mom gave me some prepared zucchini this weekend and I really needed to get it in some soup so it wouldn’t go to waste.  I also made some black bean and corn salad.  I made it for our small group’s cookout last week and it was gobbled up.  Scott couldn’t wait for me to make more. The recipe is from a lady at our church who is ridiculously talented in hospitality and is notorious for yummy food so I don’t have a link for you.  Maybe I’ll get her to guest post one day to share it.

I had a mess in my kitchen last night.  We were cutting a lot of fresh onions and it had me in tears. After I couldn’t even see to cut a second onion, I got Scott in the kitchen to help cut the next one and then he couldn’t see.  He was getting a wet towel to wipe down his eyes and then he was pulling his shirt over his face trying to cut it that way.  So there we were, both in tears, trying to make some soup. I wish I had that picture to share with you. 

We got all of it made and as I was cleaning up, I saw all the scraps on the counter.  I was touched by its beauty.  Even though they were going to be discarded and they weren’t used for the purposes last night, I couldn’t help but think how beautiful they still were. The floral pattern of the green pepper, the leaves in the celery stalk, the beautiful purple of the red onion.

I couldn’t help but think that there might be some of you that feel like you’ve been handed scraps in life right now.  You’ve got the leftovers.  Maybe you didn’t get a project you wanted at work.  Or, you’re still single and haven’t met the guy you want to marry.  Maybe money is tight and you literally are using people’s leftovers all the time.  You who feel this way, the Lord wants to encourage you. 

If I chose, I can see those scraps as beautiful and useful.

I saw the beauty in those scraps and took a picture and shared on Instagram.  Not only did I enjoy it simply for it just being there, I was able to share it with others and they saw the beauty too.  I know whatever situation you are in, there is beauty there too.  Maybe it’s not the thing you want, but there are good things there too.  Concentrate on that and be grateful.  It does no one any good to complain and grumble.

Now, if I carry those scraps of onion and celery and peppers out to my compost, they will be broken down and sifted into a rich soil.  I’ll use that soil in my garden next year and it will be used to produce a crop.  So maybe they weren’t used in my soup or salad last night, but they will be used to produce food to feed us later on.

And maybe it’s the same in your situation.  Maybe this time is still useful.  Maybe it is being used to break you, to sift you, to prepare you. Maybe it is a time that will be necessary for something in the future.  It doesn’t look like you thought it would and the timing isn’t the way you wished but it could be perfectly orchestrated for your benefit and the benefit of others.

So, be encouraged, friends. 

Sometimes the scraps are pretty spectacular too.