One man's trash, God's treasure

Two weeks ago today, I found this little dried up houseplant waiting to go out with the trash at a client's house. For some reason I will probably never know, I couldn't bring myself to throw the withered thing away. It was dry as a bone and obviously dead, but even though the leaves were actually crunchy, they were still a beautiful shade of green. Every time I passed through the kitchen and saw it sitting there beside the trash can, my heart stirred. How strange, I thought, to feel compassion for a plant!!

So I finished cleaning the house and took the trash out, but the plant went with me. I sat it on the passenger's seat and turned the a/c on, directing some cool air its way. I called my mom, who has the greenest thumb I know,  and I asked her if there was any hope. Of course, she couldn't make much of a diagnosis without seeing it, but we both decided it couldn't hurt to try. So I took it home, watered it, and watched for a few days. When it became clear that there was no resurrecting these brittle green leaves, I cut them all off at the soil and watered it some more. I have to tell you that I truly did not expect much to happen, but I just had to try.

Then, a few days ago, as I passed through the kitchen, it caught my eye. One little green sprout with a teeny, tiny leaf curled on the end had sprung up from out of the patch of pruned dead stems. And there were three more venturing out from the surface, almost too small to even see. There had been some life hidden in that soil somewhere after all! Such joy over such small progress!!

That joy felt familiar to me. Although I've never experienced it over a plant, I have prayed patiently for people who seemed unreachable. I have believed for the unbelievable. I have seen glimpses of God's working in people's hearts who appeared long ago dead. You just never know what's going on under the surface. It's easy to  look at someone's unrelenting sin and hurtful behavior and conclude that there's no hope for them. But "The LORD does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart." (1Samuel 16:7) God looked at a cowardly muderer and saw the great prophet in Moses. (Exodus 2:11-15) He looked at the prideful persecuter and saw Paul the great Apostle. (Acts 9:1-2)Would we have given either man a second chance?

What wandering soul are you praying for today? Whoever it is, don't give up!! God knows what seeds have been planted. (Matthew 13:17-23) He knows they've been sprinkled with living water.(John 7:38)  He knows what's about to spring up out of that dead man or woman's heart. It doesn't matter how bad it looks on the outside. "Because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions-it is by grace you have been saved." (Ephesians 2:4-5) Remember that grace is always available, even and especially to the most undeserving. Take Ezekiel 36:26-27 and personalize it for the one you're hoping for. Claim it for them, pray faithfully, and watch the little glimmers of hope that will begin to sprout up.

" I will give _____________ a new heart and put a new spirit in him/her; I will remove from __________ his/her heart of stone and give him/her a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit in __________ and move him/her to follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws."

Father, thank You that You never give up on anyone, even when the rest of the world has thrown us on the garbage heap. Thank You for seeing treasure in our trash. Thank You that Your mighty arm is always long enough to reach us, no matter how far from You we may wander. Give us Your vision that we might see the mighty men and women of God you will raise up from those who even now are dead in their transgressions. Thank You that someone had the vision to find that potential in me.

In His miraculous love,

Amy

copyright 2010, Amy Wallace