In the times we live in, a little simple stewardship goes a long way. We hear a lot about not overusing our resources in the media which is important. But what about reusing what we already have? The sticker shock of inflation has everyone reeling in the check-out line. Instead of purchasing new items, have you thought about repurposing something already sitting in your garage or storage closet?
As many of my readers know, my husband and I moved to East Tennessee to a small farm in the mountains two years ago. Before the closing, the sellers asked if we wanted to keep items left in the barns and garage. Of course, we offered to purchase the small John Deere tractor but almost everything else became ours with the property. This turned out to be both good and bad.
Yes, there was quite a bit of junk we’ve needed to sort through. Much of it has gone to Goodwill and some to the transfer station. But the treasures we’ve found within the mess have been a tremendous blessing, if not to us then to others. Lawn mowers, a brush cutter, a working freezer and even a hospital bed were a few of these items. The amount of lumber hiding in the barns and above the garage was mind boggling. My husband hasn’t needed to purchase much to repair the many fences on the property since so many boards and posts were left for our use.
In many ways, it would have been easier to require the sellers to remove everything from the farm property. But then those items we’ve been able to reuse or repurpose would have likely ended up in a land fill. A commitment to simple stewardship led us on a more difficult yet more rewarding path. The fencing project was only the beginning of our adventures.
Earlier this last spring, my husband and I took on the job of renovating the primary bedroom in the farmhouse. This was one of the few rooms in the downstairs that the previous owners hadn’t updated since probably the 1970’s. The carpet was a grungy green and the walls were covered in wood paneling that had been wallpapered then painted. It was pretty bad.
In the process of removing a layer of paneling, we found a fireplace hidden behind the wall. The mantle, covered in dust and cobwebs, sat in one of the outbuildings. With some old-fashioned elbow grease, we cleaned up the woodwork, repainted the mantle and bricks, and are repurposing the wood fireplace with a ventless gas one. We’ve covered the walls with sheetrock and are reusing all the old trim which was better quality then what we could afford to purchase. I can’t wait to see our finished bedroom. It’s still a work in progress.
I realize undertakings like this are not for everyone. My husband’s father was a master carpenter and raised him on projects such as these. But reusing and repurposing items in your household can be done on a much smaller scale. Simple stewardship of what God has blessed us with is a personal responsibility that each one of us should bear. Caring for creation is a trust to keep for our next generation–for your grandchildren and mine.
My parents definitely practiced reuse and repurpose, perhaps not so much because of stewardship, but of financial necessity. I seem to have absorbed the lesson and I’m thankful for it. Enjoyed your message and hope I’ve been a good example for my children. Thank you, Suzanne.
Yes. My parents were kids during the depression. My Mom always said her grandmother could make gravy to stretch a meal from almost anything. They all knew how to use their resources wisely.