Hope/Manure/Compost

My dad has been struggling with some pneumonia this fall and has been laying low. He and my mom had discussed not putting the leaves into the compost pile because that would involve breathing up a lot of dust to dig the new hole. Not good, but what? No compost pile? What will happen to the garden next summer? That was a hard day: to give up hope because of the circumstances you're in today? That will ultimately mean giving up on the future, too.
Kyle Becklin came over and took care of the digging and others got the leaves to the backyard. The leaves will rot and become minerals for great, big tomatoes. The world came back into order. Hope of next year's salsa returned.
A week later at Tuesday school I was expounding on the merits of different animals that we could "vote" on with our offerings. Would they rather send a goat or a pig, a duck or a rabbit to give hope to a family in another country? Under every animals' resume, "manure" was listed as an asset. How interesting it is that part of the hope that the animal brings to a family is their stink! Perspective can change anything!
While I was out raking in the yard I was thinking about how the compost and manure and the messy things in our lives are what can make our lives richer - it all depends on how we view it. Do I view my brokenness as rot and manure, or as opportunites for new growth? It was a refreshing rake!