Gather Up the Fragments

What would happen in our lives if we gathered up the fragments? For me on the farm that means nothing goes to waste. Just yesterday I broke down all the Christmas gift boxes, laid them in between the rows in my peony patch and spread leaves gathered from this fall over top. What was I doing? Making weed suppressant and mulch that will break down over the remainder of the winter, enrich the soil, and coax my peonies to bloom with gusto!

Or it looks like saving kitchen scraps and pantry remnants to feed my chickens. Very little effort on my part but pretty big stuff for my little flock. They hear me coming, run to the door, and just can't wait for the feast to be spread. In return they provide me good company, fresh eggs, and potent manure for my compost pile....which then goes right back into my soil.

How about on a personal level? How you been through a personal tsunami? Are the bits and pieces of "what was" flung far and wide? Is their debris all around? Seemingly nothing left of goodness, beauty, purpose, or value? I resonate with this. What do we do when all around us looks like ruin, waste, barren ground? I believe we lift our eyes above the mess and choose to see beauty.

I am beginning the process of gathering up the fragments. Is there anything salvageable after seeming mass destruction? A friend that still remains? Increased strength? Broader perspective? One lone robin left singing on the window sill? These are treasures wrought in darkness. These are shreds of hope still hanging on, reminding us that not all is lost. And if we choose to gather, compile, and see with new eyes, we might just believe that what we thought were fragments is really a new beginning waiting to bloom.