Perishable Items

Much to my dismay, I've discovered that nothing is safe for disposal in our trash. At least not when my hubby is around. My daughter, unbeknownst to me, threw a desktop calendar, the kind that covers your whole desk, in our outdoor trash bin the other day. Dean rescued it and now has it on our dining room table for doodling purposes. Sigh...

But this behavior doesn't surprise me. I've been "hiding" our trash for some time now. It started with our empty toilet paper rolls. Anything cardboard, if it's dry, is salvageable to him. Then it moved to plastic  containers (any size, shape will do). Including the containers that come every day with his "meal on wheels". These items are taking up the space of a whole cupboard now. And at times I hardly have room in my refrigerator, because of all his bottles which he fills up with water. Making them look useful, I guess.

I've found some devious ways to fight this, because reasoning with him about it always falls on "deaf ears". Gradually removing some of the items secretly, leaving some prominently displayed, so it looks like some of his treasures remain, is my best option. Otherwise I have learned to "bury" trash pretty well. I've even been known to dispose of items in the middle of the night, before the trash company picks it up on the curb.

As I think about Dean's tendency to save things these days, I'm reminded of God, who thankfully also has this problem. God evidently is passionate about saving people. It says in II Peter 3:9 that He is "...not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance." I'm sorry, Satan, you can't change this about God either. God consistently is in the business of pulling people out of the garbage so they won't perish. That's just who He is. He doesn't make disposable people.

For the Birds

I'm getting used to seeing some of Dean's hoarding manifestations, but yesterday I was still amused to see the little yogurt cup (the kind with a disposable lid you peel off) all rinsed out and in my dish drainer by the sink.

It was there by a couple of his plastic cups and lids he gets every day with his "Meals on Wheels". He saves everything from the paper sack that comes with it to the little Bible verse on a slip of paper that comes in the sack. It's a miracle he lets me throw away the empty milk cartons and aluminum trays the food comes on. It took a lot of persuasion and explanation, but he did make that concession. Fortunately, he doesn't know how many plastic cups and paper sacks I've thrown away when he isn't looking. I keep just enough of them around to make him feel comfortable, and for our house not to look like a hoarder's heaven.

But then, he saw me throw away some crumbs yesterday off the bread board and when he started to protest, I asked him what they were good for. Not expecting that he had such an immediate answer, he said, "To feed the birds!" Oh, well, they were already in the trash can. What can you say?

Wouldn't it be wonderful if every person on earth were valued that much? That all of us were deemed worth saving? But then, that is how God feels about each and every one of us. He's "not willing that any should perish." I'm thankful for such a loving, hoarder God, aren't you?

P.S. If you come to visit us with a water bottle or aluminum can, please take it home with you!!!