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There is great freedom in owning a garbage can. Before you think I've trashed my brains, let me offer an explanation.
Several years ago our city administrators were in a tizzy because they hadn't written their annual quota of new laws. They brainstormed and created a regulation requiring the townsfolk to cough up more of their hard-earned money, but in a very inconvenient way. The light bulbs went on in their noggins and visions of garbage stickers danced in their heads. Yes, garbage stickers. We would now be expected to purchase little orange stickers and attach them to each bag of garbage we set out on trash pick-up day. Another option was to purchase a larger, red, one-year sticker to fasten to our garbage can. Without the special adhesives we would no longer receive rubbish removal benefits. Keep in mind that this service was previously covered by our property taxes.
Call him stubborn or rebellious, but my husband absolutely refused to comply with the hassle and extra expense of this new ruling. In other words, we would find a new way to rid ourselves of the refuse.
At first we had a dumpster available to us at the site of our Christian bookstore in a nearby town. This worked fairly well, but it involved loading up and transporting our trash to another location, No problem. At least we weren't forced to do something against our will.
When we closed our store we no longer had the convenience of the dumpster. Ah, but we had a contingency plan. We would burn. A backyard blaze would add excitement to an otherwise humdrum life. Now we could experience the warm feelings associated with cozy fires on a regular basis. Who knows? Maybe we could even sing, "It only takes a spark to get a fire going" as we fueled the flames. And, there's nothing quite like an ooey-gooey marshmallow perfectly toasted over a trash heap!
But before long we had a dilemma. Sometimes it rained. Sometimes there were blustery winds. Sometimes it snowed. Sometimes somebody just didn't feel up to burning. That was okay, though. We have a big garage.
Let me try to give you an appreciation for what some wives deal with. Are you ready for this?
We have dirty diapers accumulating in a Diaper Genie. Have you ever seen one of those? You put a poopy Pampers in the canister, give the lid a twist or two, and the Genie miraculously seals it in plastic. Repeat the process over and over and you have a whole string of diapers individually encased, appearing amazingly similar to overgrown frankfurters. I call them my Diaper Genie wienies. Diaper Genies are great for normal purposes, but I don't think the diaper wienies were meant to decay for five months before being discarded. We have diaper wienies.
Next, we have a trash compactor. My husband, magical man that he is, can get about two months of waste products crushed down to the consistency of a cement block. We try to use the compactor for non-food items, but every once in a while an unknowing guest will slip in some savory scraps. Yes, they begin to stink! Now we have diaper wienies and trash compactor bags.
Well, there are some things you just don't put into trash compactors or into the recycle bin, so they must go into the receptacle located in the pantry. A sample of those items would be paper plates dripping with excess edibles, wet diapers, onion tops, egg shells, coffee grounds, light bulbs, aerosol cans, or anything else like that. Since the garbage bags used in this container are "kitchen size," they reach capacity rapidly. More bags to take outside. Meanwhile, diaper wienies, trash compactor bags, and pantry rubbish collect. But remember, we have a big garage!
Oh, I forgot to point out the three bathrooms, four bedrooms, office, rec room, family room, and other locations amassing the discarded debris - including used kitty litter! Either the garage was getting smaller or the towering trash was taking over. We had it all - pungent piles, malodorous mounds, stenchy stacks, reeking rubbish, decomposed do-do, rotting refuse. Are you starting to get the drift? (P.U. - it's pretty bad!)
Finally, a day comes along with no wind, rain, or snow. Motivation sets in. Hallelujah! One load at a time, heaped high on the dolly, makes its way to the burn pile. Okay, let's throw it all in the fire! Not so easy. We must not forget that some things cannot be incinerated or are too compacted to burn properly. Therefore the bags are rooted through individually and stuff is sorted as the inferno rages. Plastic? Rubber? Metal? It'll melt or burn - eventually. So will diaper wienies, after three or four days. Better watch out for the aerosol cans and light bulbs, though!
Another problem arises. Max, the wonder dog, decides our neighbors should participate in the celebration with us. He then devises a plan to distribute the charred debris throughout the neighborhood. After all, God says share.
Pardon me for asking this, but wouldn't it have been a whole lot easier to buy those stupid stickers in the first place? I'm sorry, but after months and months of this routine, I had to break free from the bondage. I told my husband that we would have a garbage can, and it would have a sticker on it. Some things just aren't worth the fight.
Garbage cans are blessings, and there is great freedom in owning one. These days whenever we take out a bag of garbage we both do a little deliverance dance. So does our garage.
One thing I've noticed since obtaining a garbage can - it doesn't do us any good if it's not deposited at the end of our driveway on Thursday mornings. Forgetting this one simple step causes the "pile syndrome" again. Our garbage must be disposed of and removed on a regular basis.
It's kind of like the garbage we pile up in our lives - the pungent pride, stinking stubbornness, trashy talk, or other smelly stuff. If our personal piles aren't dealt with and disposed of as we become aware of them, they tend to fester and grow. The more they grow, the more out of control and unearable they become. Our garbage starts affecting us and the people around us negatively.
The good news is God has made a way to rid us of our rubbish. We just need to willingly take our trash to Jesus, dump it at His feet, and He will dispose of it for us. He will remove it as far as the east is from the west, never to be seen again. He will replace the stench with a pleasing aroma that only Christ can give. Such joy! Such relief! And, do you know what the best part of doing this is? There are no little stickers involved. God's garbage removal service is absolutely free!
As far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us. (Ps. 103:12)
Author's note: No husbands were hurt in the sharing of this message. Steve gave this story his approval and blessing. He is delighted and proud to be an ongoing resource of writing and speaking material for me. :-)
