Grumpy the Gator

In Grumpy the Gator, a group of children playing encounter a grumpy alligator. The story teaches children to always keep a safe distance from animals in the wild, and to find an adult if they see an alligator.

Grumpy the Gator

Its Always A Story With The Hendersons

SEARCHING FOR THE TRASHCAN

In the quiet of the early morning, when yard sprinklers turn on to wet the soil and birds begin singing a “Good Morning” song, I hear the sounds of the trash pickup truck in the distance. A loud engine roars as the truck stops and goes to allow the workers to retrieve trash cans from each side of the street.

The engine disturbs the gentle tranquility of the morning. I am thankful for the cans to be emptied. Peeking out of the front window, I notice the workers moving quickly from one side of the street to the other, emptying each can and rapidly walking to place the cans back in the correct place.

After taking care of a few morning chores, I walked outside to get our can and prepare to spray it with disinfectant. That’s just something I do every trash day.

Glancing at the can sitting on our driveway, I noticed something different. All the cans are dark brown, but ours is older and has more wear and tear on it. Scrapes and dents show on the top and sides. I used a permanent marker to write an “H” on our can so I would make sure we had the correct one each week. I don’t want anyone else having the old, beat up can when they were given a new one.

Strange. This can looks new. Checking for the “H”, a blank spot was where the letter should be located.
Time to go searching.

Hoping the neighbors were not disturbed by my actions. Here’s what happened.

1. Brought the trash can back to house, then noticed it wasn’t ours.
2. Walked that can back to the end of the driveway.
3. Walked to the next door neighbor’s driveway to check that can. No “H”.
4. Walked to another neighbor’s driveway to check that can. No “H”.
5. Walked across the street to check that can. YES! “H” was found.
6. Brought neighbor’s can to their driveway, switched and brought our can home.

Those cans make a lot of noise while moving them across the street and up the driveways.
I wondered if anyone was watching and thought, “What is that woman doing?”

A simple act of making sure we had the old can and the neighbor had the newer can. A simple act of kindness.

I laughed along the way, thinking how silly I must have looked as I walked from can to can and checked each one.

This simple experience made me think of several things. The first was to thank God for the men and women who work on the trash trucks. Those folks are out there in the sunshine and heat and the rain and cold.
Second, I thought about “trash” in my life. Have I focused on “trash” talk in the media lately? Or have I gone to God with my concerns and prayers for the world? Has my mind been filled with negative thoughts that should be thrown away or have I looked for ways to share joy and to share God’s love with others?

I choose joy and peace. I pray my thoughts, words and actions will show His love.

How about you? Is there any “trash” that needs to be emptied from your life?

Have a blessed day,
You are loved,
Mimi aka Melissa Henderson



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42 Comments
  • Jill Weatherholt
    Posted at 09:13h, 08 June Reply

    Like I’ve said before, Melissa, I’d love to be your neighbor! I can picture you outside, going from can to can. I would have done the same! And yes, they are quite noisy. 🙂 I’m with you. I choose peace and joy. Today and each day. Thank you for the morning smiles. <3

    • mimionlife
      Posted at 11:41h, 08 June Reply

      Hello Jill. I would love to be your neighbor, too. Always something interesting happening here. Have a blessed week dear friend. 🙂

  • Vickie's Kitchen and Garden
    Posted at 10:08h, 08 June Reply

    A good word Melissa and one to think about everyday. I’m glad you went looking for your trashcan and I know the neighbors are too!

    • mimionlife
      Posted at 11:44h, 08 June Reply

      Thank you Vickie. Have a blessed week. 🙂

  • authordlv
    Posted at 14:08h, 08 June Reply

    I imagined you checking each can and walking across the street both directions. Yep, those cans sure make a lot of noise! This is funny for me because my very first blog post was about trash day. It was trash day but God colored a beautiful rainbow over our neighborhood. I titled it: Even On Garbage Day, God Loves us. Have a great week, Mimi.

    • mimionlife
      Posted at 14:21h, 08 June Reply

      Love that your first post was about trash day and God gave a beautiful rainbow. Even while we take care of the trash, God gives us beauty to enjoy. Have a blessed week! 🙂

  • Jessica Brodie
    Posted at 14:56h, 08 June Reply

    Loved your blog, Melissa! This might sound strange, but I feel comforted by trash day… the sounds of people working together to do their best to take care of the earth (by picking up people’s garbage and putting it in a designated, safe place) makes me feel happy. These sounds go hand-in-hand with the birds for me!! (And I love picturing you moving all those bins around. Too cute!)

    • mimionlife
      Posted at 16:50h, 08 June Reply

      Thank you Jessica. I agree. Trash day can bring comfort for many reasons. Have a blessed week! 🙂

  • Ava Pennington
    Posted at 15:56h, 08 June Reply

    So glad for the gift of confession and forgiveness – a way to empty my “trash” that doesn’t have to wait for trash day!

    • mimionlife
      Posted at 16:51h, 08 June Reply

      Me, too, Ava. I’m glad for the gift of confession and forgiveness. I’m glad we can empty the “trash” from our thoughts. Have a blessed week! 🙂

  • June Foster
    Posted at 22:34h, 08 June Reply

    I love the way you find a “lesson” in everyday situations. Great post.

    • mimionlife
      Posted at 22:40h, 08 June Reply

      Thank you dear friend. I try to find a “lesson” in everything. God always shows me something new. 🙂 Have a blessed week!

  • Richard Burke
    Posted at 02:23h, 09 June Reply

    You are a wonderful neighbor! I hope they all watched. Thanks for showing rather than telling. 😉

    • mimionlife
      Posted at 12:40h, 09 June Reply

      Thank you Richard. Thank you for reading and commenting. Have a blessed week! 🙂

  • Barb Ready
    Posted at 13:51h, 09 June Reply

    Love you did that! I live in a apartment as we are building a house and my apartment overlooks the dumpsters. Great view right?? The big trash truck comes anywhere from 3:15 – 5:30 AM every Monday morning!!! They only swing the arm and dump the bin. Anything laying around it remains. Then I watch our maintenance crew come every Monday morning and clean up what was left. LIke you, I am so thankful for them, yet so saddened how many people just don’t care and dump their trash wherever it lands. And the same is true of our words and emotions. We need to make sure they get in the right bin!! Not strewn around for someone else to clean up!

    • mimionlife
      Posted at 14:02h, 09 June Reply

      That is early in the morning to hear those trash trucks. I am thankful for the workers, too, even if the time is early. Yes, let’s make sure our words and emotions get in the right bin. Thank you for reading and commenting Barb. Have a blessed week! 🙂

  • Jeanne Takenaka
    Posted at 17:05h, 09 June Reply

    Awww, Melissa. I love your thoughtful heart. As I read your post, you had me thinking about something I read in the Word yesterday, Hosea 10:12. Among other things, it talked about breaking up the fallow ground of my heart. It got me praying and asking the Lord if there was fallow ground in my heart needing to be dug up, or . . . trash that needs to be emptied.

    Great thoughts here, friend.

    • mimionlife
      Posted at 17:37h, 09 June Reply

      Thank you so much Jeanne. I pray we all are alert to His Word and His nudges to think about the fallow ground in life. Have a blessed week! 🙂

  • Eliza
    Posted at 18:09h, 09 June Reply

    💕💕💕
    I’m sure they wondered …
    Resentment is trash I’m trying to let go of.
    Love, light and glitter

    • mimionlife
      Posted at 20:12h, 09 June Reply

      Eliza, thank you so much for reading and commenting. Have a blessed week! 🙂

  • Lisa Q
    Posted at 17:37h, 10 June Reply

    You are so thoughtful – great idea to mark your cans. I wonder how the cans got mixed up? And yes, I have trash in my life that needs to be emptied, and God has a great way of showing me how to do just that.

    • mimionlife
      Posted at 17:51h, 10 June Reply

      Lisa, I think the cans get messed up because the workers are rushing from one can to the other, working fast to get the job done. Thank you so much for your kind words. Have a blessed week! 🙂

  • Christina Sinisi
    Posted at 19:04h, 10 June Reply

    Thank you! I needed to be reminded to put focus where it needs to be–on the Lord!

    • mimionlife
      Posted at 19:40h, 10 June Reply

      Thank you for reading and commenting Christina. Amen. Let’s put our focus on the Lord. Have a blessed week! 🙂

  • Candice Brown
    Posted at 20:30h, 10 June Reply

    For me, I know I could stand to watch less news and focus more on the Good News. Garbage in, garbage out.

    • mimionlife
      Posted at 21:45h, 10 June Reply

      Amen. Garbage in, garbage out. I have watched less “news” lately. I choose to focus on the Good News, too. Have a blessed week! 🙂

  • Yvonne
    Posted at 22:44h, 10 June Reply

    I wish I could say I had no trash in my life. But boy do I. Thanks for the wonderful encouragement and a little laugh. I always appreciate your words.

    • mimionlife
      Posted at 22:46h, 10 June Reply

      Thank you Yvonne. I think we all have a bit of “trash” in life. I pray I am putting that bad stuff in the trash can. Have a blessed week! 🙂

  • Melinda Viergever Inman
    Posted at 15:45h, 11 June Reply

    You’ve made an excellent point about avoiding the trash talk. We’ve quit watching the news. We’re reading instead and choosing what we watch. Your kindness shows in your search for you old can. Small things like that are what make society work and that cause relationships to flourish.

    • mimionlife
      Posted at 15:50h, 11 June Reply

      Thank you Melinda. My husband and I have been watching less television. We’re taking more walks and enjoy conversation with each other and with neighbors. Have a blessed week! 🙂

  • Nancy E. Head
    Posted at 20:04h, 11 June Reply

    Good for you, Melissa! Chasing the trash can or the recycle bin is not fun. Usually, when something blows away around us, it’s gone for good. Thanks for a chuckle and a message. God bless!

    • mimionlife
      Posted at 20:32h, 11 June Reply

      Thank you Nancy. Today was trash day again and the correct can was returned to us. Have a blessed week! 🙂

  • karentfriday
    Posted at 20:30h, 11 June Reply

    Hilarious, Melissa. I’m sure you were quite the sight if anyone was watching. But it is a small token of kindness. And love the analogy to trash in our lives, only good for the dumpster and to be thrown away and out of our lives.

    • mimionlife
      Posted at 20:32h, 11 June Reply

      Thank you Karen. I pray I throw the trash in my life away and seek only His goodness. Have a blessed week! 🙂

  • Karen Harrison
    Posted at 02:45h, 12 June Reply

    Enjoyed your story as usual, dear Mimi. You are such a kind and caring person. I agree that I would love to be your neighbor! As for the trash, I always empty my “can” everyday by asking the Lord to forgive me of any sin in His sight. It’s a refreshing way to start each day. Thanks for your gentle reminder. Much love ❤️ xoxo

    • mimionlife
      Posted at 11:39h, 12 June Reply

      Thank you dear friend. Amen. I ask the Lord to forgive me of my sins every day. I am thankful for His love and forgiveness and the opportunity to start new. Have a blessed weekend! 🙂

  • Jessie
    Posted at 10:57h, 12 June Reply

    It was all trash out there, I liked that you focused on what was yours. In a world where we can have opinions about everything, I’m blessed for the times I can worry about my own “trash” instead of judging others.

    • mimionlife
      Posted at 11:36h, 12 June Reply

      Yes, Jessie. We need to focus on our own “trash” and get rid of it. Have a blessed weekend! 🙂

  • Melissa McLaughlin
    Posted at 15:51h, 12 June Reply

    Your sweet trash can story made me smile and warmed my heart, Melissa! Thank you for taking our everyday situations and highlighting God’s truth to be found and treasured along the way. Truly, I need to do a “trash” check daily, as we are inundated with news that promotes only the negative or bad. Whatever is true….

    • mimionlife
      Posted at 17:13h, 12 June Reply

      Thank you sweet Melissa. I also need to do a “trash” check daily. I think we all need that. Have a blessed weekend! 🙂

  • Anne Mackie Morelli
    Posted at 18:34h, 13 June Reply

    Confessing and repenting are similar to throwing out trash isn’t it?! Good point. And when the trash is taken away, we are emptied and cleansed. Thankful for our faithful God who is endlessly patience, and full of grace and forgiveness.

    • mimionlife
      Posted at 18:58h, 13 June Reply

      Amen. I am thankful for the endless patience of God. He loves us and helps us along the way. Have a blessed weekend! 🙂

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