Worthless?

     "He chose the lowly things of this world and the
        despised things...so that no one may boast
            before Him" 1 Corinthians 1:28-29

I find this old rusty hubcap intriguing.  It was set into the wall as part of a window by an eccentric builder in Phoenix, Arizona back in the 1930s.  The house, called the Mystery Castle, is a quirky place created from "found" materials such as native stone, old dishes, recycled bottles -- and old rusty hubcaps.   I found the rambling, creative house to be fascinating.

How many people would pick up an old hubcap like this one and believe that it had any value whatsoever?  I've no doubt that most of us would leave it on the trash heap and not want to dirty our hands with even picking it up.

Aren't you glad that God is not like that?  God takes people others consider worthless or ugly, people that no one wants to touch, and He creates something beautiful with their lives.  Little ole Zacchaeus might be considered one of those ugly people by his neighbors.  He was considered dirty - a "sinner" who cheated people, yet Jesus singled him out for divine attention and chose to use him in a creative, beautiful way that brings glory to God.  It also offers a sweet song for children to sing about a "wee, little man" who had the honor of having Jesus visit in his home.

Finding people who are unwanted and unlovely in some way is one of Jesus' specialties.  He chose to reveal Himself and provide living water to a pagan woman who was a known sinner, rejected even by her own people.  He found her, valued her and created something beautiful in her life. 

History is full of stories of people "found" by God and made into new creations.   God is building His kingdom bit by creative bit and we who have been changed from sinful creatures into children of God are part of that glorious building.  It's a house not made with hands, but rather living stones picked up by Almighty God and fashioned in His own special way.

God makes everything beautiful -- even that lowly thing that the world despises.  And as the verse in Corinthians reminds us, none of us can boast because of what He has done, because it is He that has done it.  All glory to God!