This morning as I returned home from the morning run, I noticed the carport smelled of something that is hard to describe. I instantly knew the cause because Cherilyn has been commenting on it for days. It has taken a little while to get our yard waste trash can from the city so in the meantime, I have bagged grass clippings and small branches in large contractor bags and placed them in the carport until the can arrived. The problem is - I now have a compost pile in my carport. The grass clippings in those bags, bound up on 95 degree days, have started to break down, decompose, compost - STINK! I honestly do not know if I have ever experienced a smell quite like this one.
I took the bags to the backyard and emptied them just over the fence (still on our property, I wouldn't do that to a neighbor!). Now I officially have a compost pile. While holding my breath and reflecting on events from the previous days I was reminded that the stinky grass will one day be great fertilizer. Those organic compounds that are breaking down will do wonders in building up new organic wonders. When we are compressed, stressed, and bound to the point that we feel as if we are breaking down and life just STINKS, have hope. What we are going through now may one day be the same substance that really makes things grow.
It's just amazing what God can do with the STINKY stuff of our lives if we will allow HIM to do it HIS way...not ours! When the Bible tells us ALL THINGS will work out for our good it takes more than a little faith for me to believe it; however, when I look back I can see how He has used times of unemployment, sickness, drug addiction,alcoholism, & even death of our 2 children to ultimately turn STINK into blessings! Going through the "composting process" doesn't happen rapidly or without odor but it does produce a fertile place to learn how Jesus, the Good Gardener, can transform pain,suffering, & grief into blessings.
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