This is a true story. I was serving at a church many years ago. The church was growing so fast that they bought five houses. Four were to be used for Sunday School space and the fifth one was to be torn down for parking. The house they were going to tear down had a little one-car garage. The problem was that the previous owners never parked their car in it. They used it as garbage dump. For 20 years they had thrown their trash and garbage into the garage. It was one solid block about chest high. Our church had asked the Fire Marshall if they could burn the garage and garbage, but they said no. I volunteered to haul away the garbage if I could keep anything I found in it.

So on the day they were tearing down the house I started going through the garbage. At first it was very repulsive, but as I peeled the layers I discovered something. Beneath the garbage was a mother lode of antiques. Because it was protected from the outside elements, everything was in pristine condition. I found over 100 antique Coke bottles, an antique pendulum wall clock (to this day it hangs in my living room), old glass milk bottles, medical tins, old magazines from the 50s, all in mint condition. By the end of the day I was overwhelmed with the valuables I had found in the garbage. When I discovered the antiques everybody and their dog wanted to come and help me, but I started alone and I was going to finish alone. That day God taught me something that has been useful in helping people. Look underneath the garbage, there is always something of value.

Her name was Sharon. She was one of the most beautiful girls I ever had in my youth group, but she was an alcoholic. She had spent years in denial, running from God. While counseling with her I showed her my diamond ring my wife gave me. I told her it was worth $700. Then I picked up some dirt and rubbed it onto my ring. I asked her how much was the ring worth, she replied, “It’s worth $700.” Then I spit on the ring and mixed the dirt with the salvia. I asked her again “how much is it worth now?” She replied again, “It’s worth $700.” No matter how much garbage I piled on my ring, the answer was always the same. The garbage did not change the value of the ring. The ring just needed cleaning.