Last night as I was unloading groceries, my wife threw out two overripe bananas and put in their place the bunch I had just brought in.
Several years ago, Margaret and I decided that in order to keep fresh fruit in the house–at this moment, we have strawberries, blueberries, oranges, and bananas–we would occasionally have to throw out some that had spoiled. Rather than berate ourselves over letting it go bad and wasting money, we agreed to accept this as a necessary result of our determination to eat fresh fruit. We would allow for a certain amount of waste, you might say.
Waste allowance; a spiritual concept.
Not far from where I live, a church has built a fence around the vacant lot next door to the sanctuary. It’s a lovely green expanse, set right in the middle of a neighborhood of middle-class homes in every direction, and now it might as well be located in the next parish. I have not asked anyone why they fenced in the lot but I think I know.
My guess is the neighborhood children were playing there and leaving trash behind them. Kids do that.
The leaders of the church spent several thousand dollars protecting their lawn. In doing so, they shut out the children.
In 1974, I became the new pastor of a Baptist church in a lovely county seat town in Mississippi. Across the street, I noticed a concrete parking lot which had been set up for basketball. On closer inspection, there were no goals on the backboards and a high fence surrounded the lot. I asked about that.
“We built that for our young people to have a place for basketball.” So what happened? “The kids in the neighborhood were using it, and sometimes they took it over and would not let the church kids on to their own court. So, we solved that little problem by taking the goals down and erecting a fence.”
I groaned. The spirit of the Pharisees(or Scrooge) is alive and well. If my kids cannot play, no one is going to. What’s wrong with this picture?
I said, “Guys, let’s not be mean-spirited. Take the fence down and put the goals back up and leave them.”
“But what if the kids from the neighborhood take over the courts?”
“Get in there and play with them. Get to know them. Befriend them. Invite them to church. You might even introduce some of them to the Lord Jesus Christ.”
Anyone wishing to have children or work with young people must allow for some childish behavior, for some misbehaving, displays of immaturity, and their patience to be tried.
Allow room for a little waste.
I love it when someone shows me a Scripture verse I did not know existed.
Cindy Gremillion held up her hand. In Wednesday night prayer meeting, we were volunteering our favorite Scriptures and she had a contribution. “Where no oxen are, the manger is clean, but much revenue comes by the strength of an ox. Proverbs 14:4.”
I said, “Whatever in the world does that mean, Cindy?”
“A farmer can have the profit of animals or he can have a clean barn, but he can’t have both,” she said. “To me–as the mother of small children–I can have my children or I can have a perfect house, but I can’t have both.”
Murmurs of agreement went up across the auditorium.
You can reach the children in your neighborhood or you can have a perfect lawn and quiet playground. But you can’t do both.
How tragic it is that some even Baptist Churches think more of their physical plant then the souls of boys and girls. They are against the bus ministry etc, for the wear on their buildings.
They piously sing ”Oh how I love Jesus” while ignoring what Jesus loved most, the souls of boys and girls. Win a child, and you win a life.
Wow…
This has so blessed me to read today. Thank you for sharing.
Been there, done that twice. Also directed one or more youth camps for 30 years. Had to fight/ignore boards who wanted me to send home misbehavors. That’s who the camp’s for! Not the little angels (if there were any.)
Joe, I made a note from one of your prior blogs that says, “The Ultimate Recycler wastes nothing.” So taking that in another direction, instead of throwing out the overly ripe bananas, work them into the soil under your rose bushes. The potassium that does a body good also does the roses good. They will produce more and larger blooms.
Dr. McKeever,
We have a fenced in area of our church. Not to keep kids out but keep balls in. We allow any and all little league baseball teams to practice on that lot. At least 4 teams practice there which adds up to about 50 kids per week plus parents. We placed trash cans on the lot and the teams are very respectful to use them. There are lots of ways to use vacant spaces rather than watching grass grow.
Brother Joe – another good way to use your overripe bananas is to mash them up in pancake batter and make banana pancakes. Delicious. JV
Joe: Amen and Amen. The children need a place to play and have fun. Churches are too concerned about their physical plant. Someone told me he heard of a church and the people were complaining about the children wearing the carpet out. I used that as an illustration in one of my sermons to which I said,”Let them wear the carpet out”, it can be replaced. However you cannot replace that soul that leaves with a bad attitude and feeling toward the church.
In reading about your love and use of fresh fruit let me offer you a suggestion since I know that you are very frugal,(just short of scrooge). By the way this comes from my wife. When your banannas are about to get too ripe before you use them, do the following. Peel the bananna and wrap it with plastic wrap or tin foil,(aluminum foil to you city folk) and put the fruit in the freezer. They make a good late afternoon snack or anytime you choose to eat one. It cuts down on throwing the fruit away. By the way. I picked 30 lbs. of strawberries today out of my patch and we made freezer preserves and froze many. They are delicious and will be this winter on hot biscuts. Those that we froze as whole berries will be delicious on ice cream. Wish I could get some to you safely. Hope you and your family all have a very good day!!! Tell your Mom a big HELLO from Ky!
Don
So the deacon came up to me and said, “Pastor, about that basketball goal on our church parking lot…” “Yes,” I replied, “I know it’s taken longer than expected to get it repaired.” “Well, Greg, I think we shouldn’t repair it after all.” “Really? Why not?” “Because it attracts rascality….”
Yep, really happened that way, “rascality” and all. Gratefully, as I looked out the window, the layman who had promised weeks before to repair it was getting it done right then. Providential timing.
And over the years, I witnessed to many a teen playing basketball there. After all, we are all of us “rascals in need of redemption.” And good gospel stewardship requires allowing for a certain amount of waste.
Grateful in Jesus,
Rascal Greg Loewer
NorthStar Church Network:
An Association of Baptist Congregations
Northern Virginia