I am a re-cycler...a re-user...a make-doer....and when i need something...i first look to see what i "have in my hand"... (i learned that from the LORDS conversation with MOSES.)
Basically i look to use what i gots.
Well, i needed rags...hankies in specific. And since i do not buy paper towel or kleenex... i cut up t-shirts.
Cause it works. It makes perfect sense to me. I call it frugal. My kids have other words for it.
And who has an abundance of t-shirts in my house? My 3 teenage boys.
And who doesn't even know where half of those t-shirts are? My 3 teenage boys.
And who will never even notice when i raid their rooms for t-shirts? My 3 teenage boys.
Until the day i walked around the house with an ALL LEAGUE logo hanging off of my nose.
"Mom are you serious? Did you really cut up my ALL LEAGUE shirt to use as a handkerchief?" asked Ben.
"What this old thing?" I replied.
"Yes, that old thing. That old thing that you are blowing your nose on. That says i went to ALL LEAGUE this year." He answered.
And before i had a chance to express my very logical and reasonable actions that rude kid continued...
"Josiah," Ben yelled across the house "Mom is cutting up our basketball shirts to use as snot rags!"
"Are you serious?" Josiah shouted back.
"Now, now boys...I've been using your MVP, ALL STAR, ALL LEAGUE, ALL TOURNEY t-shirts as hankies for a few years now...you just haven't notice." I smiled carefully...desperately wanting to believe this would soften the blow. (get it blow?)
They just rolled their eyes and walked to the infamous "rag bag".
Gulp.
I considered a quick defense. Hmmm, I could use the rational argument that they are lucky i buy toilet paper. But there was no time for that. The "rag bag" was out. The evidence was clear.
"Okay boys you got me. I ripped up SOME of your basketball t-shirts to use for rags. They have been recycled. They have moved on to bigger purposes. I did not think this was a big deal. But i can see now it is. I am sorry and I will definitely ask you before tearing apart any of your t-shirts that express an award winning logo."
Apology accepted.
"Rag bag" returned.
Nose blowing continued.
And a Scripture verse popped into my little frugal head.....
We are all infected and impure with sin. When we display our righteous deeds, they are nothing but filthy rags. Isaiah 64:6
All the good and even great things we do. Any wonderful awards we may receive. The honors of this life, even the rightly deserved ones....the hard work...the hours of labor...are nothing but filthy rags before the LORD...no good work we may do will allow us entrance into Heaven...there is only ONE entrance...ONE way...that covers all our sinful impurities...and makes us clean and fit for Heaven....the BLOOD of JESUS!
Good object lesson...those cut up t-shirts...for my 3 teenage boys...and believe me you...i used it to the hilt!
To which they replied, "Thou shalt not steal."
Basically i look to use what i gots.
Well, i needed rags...hankies in specific. And since i do not buy paper towel or kleenex... i cut up t-shirts.
Cause it works. It makes perfect sense to me. I call it frugal. My kids have other words for it.
And who has an abundance of t-shirts in my house? My 3 teenage boys.
And who doesn't even know where half of those t-shirts are? My 3 teenage boys.
And who will never even notice when i raid their rooms for t-shirts? My 3 teenage boys.
Until the day i walked around the house with an ALL LEAGUE logo hanging off of my nose.
"Mom are you serious? Did you really cut up my ALL LEAGUE shirt to use as a handkerchief?" asked Ben.
"What this old thing?" I replied.
"Yes, that old thing. That old thing that you are blowing your nose on. That says i went to ALL LEAGUE this year." He answered.
And before i had a chance to express my very logical and reasonable actions that rude kid continued...
"Josiah," Ben yelled across the house "Mom is cutting up our basketball shirts to use as snot rags!"
"Are you serious?" Josiah shouted back.
"Now, now boys...I've been using your MVP, ALL STAR, ALL LEAGUE, ALL TOURNEY t-shirts as hankies for a few years now...you just haven't notice." I smiled carefully...desperately wanting to believe this would soften the blow. (get it blow?)
They just rolled their eyes and walked to the infamous "rag bag".
Gulp.
I considered a quick defense. Hmmm, I could use the rational argument that they are lucky i buy toilet paper. But there was no time for that. The "rag bag" was out. The evidence was clear.
"Okay boys you got me. I ripped up SOME of your basketball t-shirts to use for rags. They have been recycled. They have moved on to bigger purposes. I did not think this was a big deal. But i can see now it is. I am sorry and I will definitely ask you before tearing apart any of your t-shirts that express an award winning logo."
Apology accepted.
"Rag bag" returned.
Nose blowing continued.
And a Scripture verse popped into my little frugal head.....
We are all infected and impure with sin. When we display our righteous deeds, they are nothing but filthy rags. Isaiah 64:6
All the good and even great things we do. Any wonderful awards we may receive. The honors of this life, even the rightly deserved ones....the hard work...the hours of labor...are nothing but filthy rags before the LORD...no good work we may do will allow us entrance into Heaven...there is only ONE entrance...ONE way...that covers all our sinful impurities...and makes us clean and fit for Heaven....the BLOOD of JESUS!
Good object lesson...those cut up t-shirts...for my 3 teenage boys...and believe me you...i used it to the hilt!
To which they replied, "Thou shalt not steal."