I was listening to a sermon today from Mark 6 — the story of Jesus feeding the five thousand.

Jesus took the five loaves and two fish, looked up toward heaven, and asked
God’s blessing on the food. Breaking the loaves into pieces, he kept giving the
bread and fish to the disciples to give to the people.

They all ate as much as they wanted,
and they picked up twelve baskets of leftover bread and fish.  Mark 6:41-43

The speaker I was listening to made an interesting point.
He said that “God doesn’t waste anything”.

Jesus just did this miracle of multiplication.
Why did they care about the crumbs on the floor?

Which gets me thinking: Could it be that God doesn’t waste anything in our life as well?

By this I mean — that every experience,  every quirk or personality trait, every failure, every lapse into sin even — isn’t wasted.
It’s used for His purposes.

Your love of obscure books, or photography, or punk rawk music,  or of art, or Mozart or NASCAR
  — just might be the thing that sparks a conversation with a stranger that leads to more spiritual subject matter.

That time you screwed up royally — isn’t wasted either. 
You’ll be able to teach others from the mistake.

That Bible Study you prepared for that no one showed up to; — taught you some things that you will use another time.

The email you sent with concern to a friend that wasn’t heeded.

All the failures in ministry —

None of it is wasted.

God can make something out of nothing – but regardless, He wastes nothing.

We have nothing to offer the Lord — but a bunch of crumbs.
But He will use it nonetheless.

Wow. Amazing and praiseworthy, don’t you think?
I love our Lord!