Monday, November 7, 2011

Discarded

 
Discarded - Get rid of (someone or something) as no longer useful or desirable.  
 
I learn a-lot from my kids.  This Sunday I awoke to my 7 year old poking his finger into my side saying Dad it is morning.  I reluctantly pulled myself out of bed and walked fuzzily out to the living room.  Winter has begun to settle into Central Washington so the temp outside was a balmy 19F or -7C.  I decided that 19 degrees justified a fire thus I brought in a few mill ends and some real wood.  We use the mill ends as kindling as it is very dry and catches fire easily.  My son Ben immediately grabbed the mill ends and started building.  Long story short I ended up bringing about 200 pieces in and he constructed a small city of wood sculptures.  Ben's creativity reminded me that what I viewed as a worthless mill end, only good for starting a fire, he sees as building materials with endless possibilities.  His little brother soon woke up and joined in.  By the time my wife got up we had built and destroyed many interesting structures.   God impressed upon me that he sees us not as useless mill end, but as building materials with endless possibilities.  My prayer today is that I would be open to God's building project, that I would recognize the potential of the people he places in front of me, and that I would be willing to accept the tasks that he assigns.   
 
God tends to nudge me through very ordinary things in my day.  How has he nudged you lately?



6 comments:

  1. Wow, those are some very cool structures! It sounds like that morning contained quite a God moment for you, and I'm glad that you got to enjoy the time with your son.
    This morning on my way to work I was stopped at a light and looked out to the east to see the condensation droplets on the car window making beautiful patterns reflecting in the morning sun. I went to grab my camera but couldn't find it in my cluttered purse before the light changed. By the time I had gotten to the next red light most of the condensation had gone, and I was reminded how fleeting moments of beauty, truth or insight can come in ordinary things that often go unnoticed by me. I was blessed to catch a glimpse this morning. Thanks for sharing this Patrick.

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  2. This is soooo cool Patrick!

    It's amazing how our perspectives can change almost instantaneously. I'm also moved by Valerie's observation about how fleeting special moments can be. You are truly experiencing a lot of them in your family.

    I get most of my nudges and insights in the barnyard it seems.

    (By the way, you have a lovely home!)

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  3. Valerie, Debbie, Thank you for sharing your your nudge moments with me. I can relate to the fleeting moments of beauty and the frustration when you are unable to capture and or recreate them.

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  4. Great Job Been!! Im inspired. -Austin

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  5. Austin, I will let him know that you liked his work. It is really fun creating with my kids and I am always amazed at just how much I learn from them.

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  6. I love the thought here, that we aren't throw-aways to God :)

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