1 Corinthians 1:27-29 - Precious Garbage

This past spring, some garbage collectors threatened to go on strike, ostensibly afraid of contracting a virus because of their occupation. The spectre of having my garbage barrel overflowing was not appealing. Since I've toyed with the idea of having a compost pile, I figured this year was as good as any. I imagined those kitchen scraps of potato peelings, coffee grounds, orange rinds fertilizing a bumper crop of tomatoes. 

My foray in to compost gardening didn't go so well. Saved up in a Rubbermaid tote, without being properly turned over, it turned into black goop. But it was dutifully added to a tiny plot of tomato plants, the best I could buy at Hy-Vee. A week or so later, I started seeing some tiny seedlings sprouting up between tomato plants. At first I thought they were pumpkins, but the yellow blooms eventually became acorn squash. That tub of blackened kitchen scraps had included some squash seeds!

The hybrid tomato plants produced--as expected--some excellent roma tomatoes. The garbage--unexpectedly--produced beautiful acorn squash. It made a terrific meal of squash soup this week. 

Unfortunately, while some people are considered "most likely to succeed," or at least "most popular," others are basically thrown aside. For whatever reason, they are ignored as unimportant and valueless.

Which brings us to today's verses:
"27 ...God has chosen the foolish things of the world to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to shame the things which are strong, 28 and the base things of the world and the despised God has chosen, the things that are not, so that He may nullify the things that are, 29 so that no man may boast before God." (1 Corinthians 1:27–29, New American Standard, 1995) 

We give thanks to you, God, for choosing us when we might otherwise be overlooked. Rather than being tossed aside, you've made our lives fruitful in a way that honors you. Without that, we're really not more important than anyone else. So give us the humility to see You at work in the lives of others who are despised and ignored by society. In Jesus name, Amen.