What Do You See?

When you look at these pictures, what do YOU see?

 An old rusty plumbing pipe with even older old faucets?

 Ancient garden spigots?

Well, I can tell you that when I saw this at our local dump/recycling station today...someone had purposely left this pipe with all these fittings sitting on top of the dumpster just in case someone would come along and have a "need" for it...and as we drove away, I told my hubby,
"I sure would love to have those old faucets".
He kept driving.
I said, "I can just envision all kinds of neat stuff I could do with those old spigots and faucets..."
 He kept driving.
 I said, "I sure wish we could go back and get those faucets before they disappear."
He still kept driving.
I said, "You know, I could create birdhouses and other cute things using those...people love that kind of stuff..."
He sort of started to slow down.
I said, "Of course, I would need help building a birdhouse. I don't know how to use the saw. But you could help me."
He pulled over and waited for an oncoming vehicle to get out of the way. Then he did the most amazing thing...he turned the car around and headed back to the dump! I could hardly believe my eyes!

However, when we pulled up to the dumpster, I jumped out of the car and ran to look, and they were gone!!! I looked down inside the dumpster, but there was no sign of them.  I said out loud,
"Well, I guess somebody else saw the potential in those and got them already."
There was a man standing next to his car on the other side of the dumpster, and he saw me looking and heard me muttering.  He asked me, "Did you forget something, or change your mind about something?"
I told him, "There was a plumbing pipe with some faucets here a minute ago, but it is gone now."
He asked, "Oh, did you want those?"
I said, "Well, I had some ideas of things I could do with them."  And then I realized that he must have taken them, so I asked him, "Oh, did you take them?"  And he said, "Yes, but I'll be happy to give them to you if you want them."  I said, "No, that's okay. If you want them, you keep them."  He said, "I really didn't have any plan for them...just thought I might need them someday."
And I said, "Well, you keep them. I was just going to make birdhouses or something like that with them, you know, repurpose them?"
He said, "Then here, you take them! I really don't need them." And he got them out of his truck and handed them to me.
I graciously thanked him and told him how much I appreciated it, especially because I had talked my hubby into turning around and coming back for them!  He laughed and said "Well, then you better go make something with them!"  And I thanked him again and put them in our car and we drove away.

So now!  Now that I've gone to so much trouble and even had to take them from another person...what shall I do with them?  Do you see any new purpose for them?  What do you see when you look at these old spigots?  Could they possibly be repurposed to a new life? Become useful or even interestingly attractive again?  I truly would love to hear your ideas.  I know, I just looked on Pinterest, and I can find hundreds of ideas there...but maybe you have something special in mind too. Please tell me in your comments.  Here are a few of the Pinterest Ideas:

Pinterest Picture of Birdhouse w/ faucet

Photo from Pinterest

Photo from Pinterest

Meanwhile...while we consider this, other thoughts came to mind.  (And you know, a MIND is a terrible thing to waste!  Just like these old faucets! )  But the thought that came to my mind was  how God looks at us and sees our potential.  Others may look at us...or even we ourselves might look at ourselves, and say, "What could God do with this rusty old person?  I'm tired, I'm weary, and I'm quite worn!  There are surely newer and better equipped people out there to take care of the world these days...what possible purpose (or repurpose) could God ever find for me at this stage in my life?

Many of my friends out here in "blogland" are like me...retired, or almost retired, or at least dreaming about retirement sometime soon.  And one thing I've discovered since retiring almost two years ago is that there are times when I feel like I'm not fulfilling my full purpose here on earth anymore. There are many days that we sit here and do practically nothing...and I really don't like that...(well, sometimes I actually do like that, but I don't want to stay that way forever!)  What can I do about it?  We have limited resources, limited energy, and limited mental capacity it seems at times....(more often than I like to admit!) But I figure if I live to be in my late 80's or 90's, I don't want to spend the next twenty years doing nothing of significance!  I'd like to be "repurposed" into doing something useful, pleasant and meaningful for the rest of my years.  How about you?

A scripture verse I found this morning while thinking about this is in Psalm 20...

4.  "May He (God) grant you according to your heart's desire,

and fulfill all your purpose.

5.  We will rejoice in your salvation,

and in the name of our God we will set up our banners!

May the Lord fulfill all your petitions."

I wonder what God sees when He looks at me today.  I wonder if He sees a new purpose for my life...if He sees my "heart's desire" and knows exactly how to "fulfill all my petitions".   What do YOU think?  How about we all pray about this for each of us in our own circumstances...and then we can rejoice together when the Lord rescues us from our rusty old state and gives us a new purpose and plan for our lives....and

"in the name of our God we will set up our banners!"

Now that sounds like a great plan!

So now, I'd better go figure out what to do with those old faucets! 

Have a blessed and glorious day, my friends!!!