“One man’s trash” really is “another man’s TREASURE.”
Only a few years ago, it became common for large farms to irrigate their fields in developing countries. For this reason, their yields have increased incredibly. Many were struggling to feed their families, and now, they have an abundance to sell in the local market. Still, it is rare to see PVC used for irrigation because of its high price. Most farmers use a thin, collapsible, black hose. They roll it out across the furrowed and planted lines of seedlings, then attach it to a water source, and voila, you have an excellent and dependable drip irrigation system. That’s the good news.
The bad news is that they are suitable for only one season. The material from which they are made, the “thinness” of the hose, and the trampling of the horse, mule, donkey, or bull hoofs tend to rip them, and the sun bakes them for three to four months. Still, the cost of replacing them for next season’s crop is worth it because of the increase in produce acquired by irrigation. But what do they do with the discarded black irrigation hoses? Are they worthless and destined to be carted off to some (non-existent) trash dump? Thankfully, no. Because of their innovation, this trash becomes a treasure.
Throughout the world, in developing nations, boys and girls gather on “fields of dreams” where they imagine themselves scoring the final, winning goal at an imaginary World Cup tournament, ensuring they will become national heroes and wealthy. Of course, we are not talking about baseball but what the world (outside the USA) calls football. Usually, they have no “goals” to aim for, so they plant two sticks in the ground at each end of the field to serve that purpose. But in Honduras, the boys take the discarded black irrigation tubes and weave them across a stick frame to make soccer goals.
Their imagination, ingenuity, and genius, mixed with some weaving, save the day and may serve as the training ground for a future, world-famous soccer player. If so, he will owe his treasure to another man’s trash. You may have a low esteem of your work for the Lord; to you, it may seem outdated, worn, and worthless, but you never know the dreams you are creating and fulfilling in the lives of those watching you. Throw your trash our way, and we’ll turn it into treasure.
