Scraps to Scrumptious

Scraps?  Yes, scraps - and coffee grounds and egg shells and lots of other things can be composted.  I've composted for several years, generating a rich soil in which future scrumptious delights grow.  One expert who saw my garden last year was amazed by the result from two tiny okra plants and said it must be the organic compost I cultivate over the year.

When I moved recently, my compost bin moved with me.  It's not pretty, mind you.  I believe in reduce, reuse, recycle; and this fifty-five gallon drum (with lid), which had only ever been filled with water on our flightline, was being discarded (among others).  I salvaged the beast and drove it home in the back of my Subaru Baja for its afterlife.  That container and its contents bemused my mother at first, but now she is a consistent contributor, asking often, "can this go in the bin?"

In the kitchen, I have a cute little bowl I've topped with a silicone lid - both of them in the Rachael Ray line.  This keeps me from taking several trips out to the big, ugly bin with scraps.  Turns out, it's made for compost scraps.  Go figure!

That got me thinking of the transition I've been having internally (and in my whole life, really) since my husband passed and now after two moves.  Obviously, things have to germinate in my life before they sprout, but that's another musing...  Anyway, I was thinking, now that Spring is near (Lord, may it be so), about the value of the things I've composted in my life and what they have actually contributed to the sprouts appearing above the "soil" of my life lately.

Like onions, some things that comprise my "life compost" have elicited tears.  Others have been less emotional in nature.  The "bin" of my past takes them all, though, and brings forth something new and beautiful - beauty from ashes (Isaiah 61:1-3).  Some things are quite ashy indeed in my recollection, as those parts of me and of my life have been burned away.  The best composts, as most gardeners know, is a complex blend, after all.  The Master Gardener certainly has plenty to work with in my case.

One thing that can be used to enrich soil results from pruning.  Pruning rids a tree, bush, plant, or other living thing of something that is holding back its growth in some way.  Sometimes, a very large section gets snipped/lopped away to make room for new growth, or redirect future blooms.

Jotting with Johnna
What bits need to be cast into your own "life compost" bin?  Are you holding onto pieces that rob you of your peace as they rot in your tightly-held fist?  Where is the Lord pruning you so that you can truly flourish?

Remember:  You are so very worthy of the time it takes to germinate, cultivate, and propagate healthy "fruit" in your life.

Stay tuned.  Stay focused.  Stay well.

Johnna