Recycleable

Question-Are you recycleable?

Can God use you over and over again for His purposes and plan?


The other day I was throwing some items into the "recycle" bin. I thought to myself, I like recycling. It feels like the right thing to do. If you have a can or plastic bottle, why not take a little extra time and put it in the bin so it can be melted down and used again?

It just makes sense...

Well as I was throwing a bag of "recycleables" into the bin, God showed me a picture of myself.
He said Laura, "YOU are recycleable too."

God uses the foolish things of the world, to confound the wise.
Who am I LORD? I am just a little girl with a BIG God (like Debbie Bryson says)

"But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise and God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty;
and the base things of the world and the things which are despised God has chosen and the things which are not to bring to nothing the things that are that no flesh should glory in His presence." 1 Corinthians 1:27-29 (emphasis mine)

So God enjoys using the things that the world thinks are "dumb," or "insignificant" and He makes it into something of value.

Many recycled items are broken...like glass....

I started reminding myself of how I "feel" sometimes. Now don't get me wrong. We can't fall into that Dr. Phil or Oprah or other "new age" emotional-self-focused mentality that says feelings and emotions and self rule. Women are emotional. We don't need a psycologist to tell us that! But God's Word says the heart is deceitful and wicked, so time and time again I have to deny my emotions. But that doesn't mean they fly away...they linger around....

So regarding my feelings, I admit sometimes I feel broken. I feel like I am not who God wants me to be. I fail day after day, I am beaten by this trial or that. I am misunderstood. I want to be a Proverbs 31 wife and mother but I see who I really am and I just feel plain old broken. Like a jagged piece of glass with sharp edges. As a child of God, we know the world, the flesh and the enemy can really break us emotionally. But God reminded me that God LOVES to use the broken spirit, the broken heart to be recycled into something beautiful.

"The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit A broken and a contrite heart— These O God You will not despise." Psalm 51:17

Another picture- A mosaic. What is a mosaic made up of? Broken glass. It's beautiful. An artist takes a broken china cup, a broken glass, a broken mirror, more broken glass and ceramic and makes it into a work of art. You have to trust the master artist that when the mosaic is done, it will be beautiful...

God showed me my life is recyclable.

First, like the plastic or can, these items are melted down to be recycled and reused again. This is the purpose of trials friends. We are going to go through the fire. It's not an "if" question it's a when.

Jesus said, "These things I have spoken to you that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer I have overcome the world." John 16:33

So when you go through the melting pot, the furnace, the fiery trial (1 Peter 4:12) when you feel like it's never going to cool down, just remember God might be recycling you. He might be melting you down so He can use you for a new fresh purpose. We know God's purposes are always good. (Jeremiah 29:11)

God also showed me that a recycled person has perceived value to others- Value to God, to Christians and non-believers too.

When a person throws an empty plastic bottle into the "regular" trash, have you noticed a homeless person, or even someone who is not homeless might come behind him/her and take the bottle out of the trash? This is because the empty plastic bottle has value. In the collector's eyes, the bottle or can has value. He knows the more bottles, the more money at the recycle center.

Same with us...

I have a beautiful friend/client who is going through a terrible, terrible divorce due to her husband's infidelity. They were a Christian couple and this divorce is one of the saddest I've ever seen. This woman is amazing. She has two children with special needs and is now a single mom. She was telling me the other day that she feels like something is wrong with her because she has so much joy in the LORD in spite of this trial. She said to me, "Is it OK to feel this joy in God when my world is crashing around me?"

I was amazed by her statement. I was encouraged. I was blessed. But, I was not surprised. See, when you are in the fire, our Jesus shines more beautifully and more clearly. (Daniel 3:25) This woman is completely broken right now. Her heart is beyond broken, her life is broken, but her love for God is stronger than ever. She is a shining example to me and many others that God indeed brings beauty from ashes. (Isaiah 61:3) She is broken, but she has value. She is allowing God to recycle her and be used for His glory.

I am thankful for this picture He gave me. I continue to enjoy recycling. Now, when I throw that can away in the bin, I want to thank God for reycling me too.