Recently I took our household recyclables to the county site and made the customary visit to each of the big dumpsters, aluminum, plastic, newspapers, etc. When I came to the steel bins, I was shocked to see that someone had thrown away what appeared to be a nearly new set of weights and dumbells. Most were sitting on top of other cast-offs in the middle of the big box. Others had already fallen the eight feet to the bottom. Legally I could not climb in and retrieve the parts that I wanted. I could only grieve that someone had felt this was the only way they could rid themselves of unwanted materials.
My family recycles everything our local government will allow. Other useful objects, at least to others if not to us, are offered to Goodwill, Salvation Army, or a local thrift store. I see no reason to throw anything away that can be used again for the same or different purpose. I am not a great fan of landfills!
Yet in hungering for that set of weights, I began to think of all the other thngs I do waste. Sure, I work hard at the material stuff. What about the non material stuff? That led to a big moment of self-evaluation that said I came up short.
I waste time. Is there anything more important in our society these days than time? People turn down raises to get more vacation time from work. We argue about the value of quality time as opposed to quantity of time (Give Both!). We look for ways to fill time between other activities. Did you know there is a web site entitled "I Am Bored" chock full of silly games to help you use your time when you are at a loss as to what to do next, or at last struggling to avoid what you know you need to be doing?
I waste relationships. We have family members and friends that could enrich our lives far more than they do if only we would let them. I know some absolutely fascinating people and seem to be meeting more everyday, but I don't allow myself the opportunity to gain much from them. I don't invest myself in them so that they can invest themselves in me. Maybe that is related to the wasting of time again.
I waste opportunities to be more Christlike. That one judges me everyday! Do I have some idea of how Christ would act in a given situation? Sure, I have some reasonable notion. Do I always follow through? Unfortunately not all that often. I judge myself on that, but not in time to take advantage of the opportunity. It is almost always an after thought and the chance is long gone.
Waste is a terrible thing, a waste of anything. It is particularly bad when we waste life. God has given us life as a gift. We should never waste a gift from God. They don't come any more precious.
