Trash Talk

Last night was our "Life Tabernacle Family Social" at the church and we had a wonderful time. After most of the people were gone and we were ready to come home, Andrew and Mandy could not find the stack of Christmas cards they had been given. We searched all over the fellowship hall, on the counter, in the cabinets, in the closet, on the tables, the chairs, in the sanctuary, the offices...you get the picture, I'm sure. We couldn't find them anywhere! I felt so bad that they would have to go home without their cards. I know how enjoyable it is to get home, put on your robe, sit down in your chair with all the cards, reading every word. They are always so sweet! My heart always swells with love and thanksgiving as I read. I was feeling so sorry for Andrew and Mandy when all of a sudden the thought hit me and I said, with great emotion....... "MY CAMERA! WHERE'S MY CAMERA?" By this time no one was at the church except my husband, me, Andrew, Mandy, and the girls. We went back to the fellowship hall to get my camera off of the cabinet "where I had put it" earlier in the evening. My camera was no place in sight! Yes, we looked all over the kitchen once again. On the counter, in the cabinets, on the tables, the chairs, in the closets, drawers, sanctuary, prayer room, offices.....anywhere and everywhere we looked!! Now, I was getting worried that someone had "taken it", but didn't know of anyone that would have done such a thing, so someone MUST have taken it home with them "thinking it was theirs". And the cards....well....it was possible someone had gotten them mixed up with theirs, also. In these situations their are so many possibilities and my mind was going ninety miles an hour trying to...."figure it out"! A few phone calls were made, but NO ONE knew where any of the things were! I called Rita who had been working in the kitchen and she said......"Sis. Elms, ya'll need to look in the trash. There was a trash can sitting right under the counter and it could have been pushed off in the trash." (TRASH! TRASH! OH NO! NOT THE TRASH!) I had already had experience with the "TRASH MONSTER" and did not want to go through that again!! Let's go back: (suspence....I love suspence)

"A few years ago I bought my sister a "special gift". I was so excited about giving it to her, because she had NO IDEA that I would go buy it for her. I had it wrapped up good and "safe" in the bag from the store that I had purchased it from. When I got home with the package I sat it at the end of the counter in the kitchen so that "if she came by my house she would not be able to recognize the package". It was one of those "sneaky times" we all love to enjoy. :) I came in one day and noticed the package was gone. When my husband walked into the house I asked him if he had moved "the package". "What package?" was his reply. "Karla's gift! It was sitting right there at the end of the cabinets," I answered. "You mean the one that was all wrapped up sitting right here?" he asked. "Yes, that one!" I answered as my heart began to skip a few beats. My husband looked at me funny and took a breath and said, "Honey, I didn't know that was Karla's gift. I thought that was trash. With the kids here and all you've been putting the big trash bags right here and I took it to the trash this morning! In fact, since it was so heavy I put it on top of the trash can to hold the lid down." Well, I nearly had a heart attack! (just a figure of speech, don't worry) I knew that the "trash truck" was suppose to come by TODAY and pick up the trash!!! I went into a panic. I double-checked to see if they had already come and they had! Now, "what am I going to do"? I had every emotion hit me at one time!!! I could not believe my "special gift" to Karla was in the TRASH truck and all I could see was the "jazz saxophone player" being SMASHED in the back of the monster TRASH truck!!!!!! To save you anymore details to this story I will just say that after a frantic search for another "jazz player" I found it and Karla got her gift.

Now, back to my camera. Wendell and I were still looking all over the church for it...and the "cards" when Mandy called and said, "Mom, we found your camera. We are out here at the dumpster and our cards were in the last trash bag that was taken out, so Andrew kept looking and he found your camera. It wasn't in its case, so he's looking for the case, now." Once again, I had a lot of emotions flowing through my mind. I could just see my new camera we had bought while on vacation last summer.....down in the TRASH. I could only imagine what it looked like as he pulled it out of the "garbage"! Coffee, creamers, sandwiches, cookies, cakes, tea, and coffee grounds along with no telling what else might be in that dumpster! After a little bit, Andrew found the case, the camera and the cards! He rescued my camera from all of this "stuff" and he is my "hero" today! :) Anyone that would go "digging through the trash" to find anything for me is a very special person! I could spiritualize this, but I won't write it all out for you today. Just remember for future reference that, "there was a babe born in a manger Who came to mankind to dig us out of the trash so that we could be free from sin and have everlasting life"! I think my camera is fine! It has been taking pictures okay. Now, if the mechanisms do not get "stuck" because of the "garbage it was in" I will be using it for many years to come, unless I leave it "on the counter where someone can push it off in the trash without realizing it". I think I've learned a few lessons out of all of this.
1. Be more careful not to leave "valuable things" where they can be "hurt", "ruined" or "trashed".
2. Be careful with "valuables" that belong to someone else.
3. Someone has a "valuable" they have lost. I must help them find it, even if I have to go to the "dumpster"!
4. I will also remember......I have a Savior.....Who came!