Life After Death, A Compost Story

See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland. Isaiah 43:19

 

I love a good walk in the woods. In autumn especially, I find the ground covered in brown leaves that crunch quietly under my step. Once plump and vibrant on the branches, the leaves have detached and fallen.

 

The leaves have died. 

 

When I dig a little under the top blanket of leaves, I find older layers that have decomposed into a damp, crumbly humus. 

 

They are very dead.

 

Outside of the woods, sometimes I look around at my world and it feels like everything is decaying. Especially if I watch the news too much. Death and destruction are everywhere. It’s a dumpster fire out there.  Sometimes the dumpster fire is inside my home. Sometimes it’s inside my head. How can I respond? Despair or rage or panic – pick a card. 

 

How does God guide me through this valley of the shadow of death?

 

Let me go back to the forest floor.  Look! I can see thin, white threads of living mycelium (fungus fingers!). I spot a worm. Beyond what I can see, there are a billion microbes living their best lives in a teaspoon of that stuff. I notice green sprouts popping up out of the decomposing material. Seeds have scattered from a dead flower, and they are coming to life in the soil. The dead and decomposing material nourishes them so they can germinate and grow.

 

Death and re-birth are both fully present in the soil. 

 

See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland. (Isaiah 43:19 ) This is a verse from the the Old Testament prophet Isaiah. It was a message to a people who had turned away from God and disconnected from their life source. It was a time of decay. In the middle of that place of desolation, God called His people to wake up and look around. He is making something new come alive. 

 

When it seems like restoration is impossible, God is bringing something beautiful to life.  

 

For Christians, Jesus’ death and resurrection are the cornerstones of our faith. Jesus, whom Paul describes in Colossians as the image of the invisible God, was born, lived, and died. According to the Gospel accounts, Jesus came back to life again three days after his death. Christian theology holds that, by Jesus’ death and resurrection, the destructive power of sin and death are utterly destroyed. Now, God is using the decomposing material as the medium to redeem, restore, reconcile, and recreate. 

 

“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.” 2 Corinthians 5:17 

 

“Jesus said, ‘I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; and whoever lives by believing in me will never die. Do you believe this?’” John 11:25

 

In the compost on the forest floor, I can see a small glimpse of God’s grace and His perfect plan, which is completed in Jesus and is being carried out in us. Death is not the end. He is making something new.

 

Jeff Chu, writer and minister, gives a beautiful message on The Theology of Compost:

A robust theology of the compost reminds us that death and the things of death, our sin, our suffering, the ways we hurt each other, the ways we harm ourselves— These things are never the end of God’s story.

A robust theology of the compost reminds us that we are still in the process of becoming, and God has written redemption into the story of creation itself. 

A robust theology of the compost reminds us that God has empowered us, lowly worms, to turn what is ugly and festering and dying into what is lovely and beautiful and life-giving. 

A robust theology of the compost testifies to the fact that we can’t do this alone, but we need others, because a single worm can’t do very much but in community they have such tremendous power. 

A robust theology of the compost testifies that we who have been told by society that we are worthless can act in the confidence of the knowledge that we are worthy. 

And a robust theology of the compost testifies that God urges those of us who have been shamed not to shame, but instead to love. Because in our acts of love, we participate in preparing the soil in which God’s reign of love and justice can take root. 

 

For me, the story of compost shows that God is constantly bringing new life out of death. He does it with every falling leaf that becomes food for a new plant to grow, and with every plant or animal whose death enables me to nourish my body. He does it so regularly that I consider it mundane.

 

When I am in a season where it seems like death and despair have the upper hand, faith is believing that even then – especially then – God is bringing something beautiful to life. God is making dead things come alive all around me, and in me, all the time. Do I perceive it?

 

An invitation to consider

• Ask God for eyes to see and a heart to receive what He has for you today.
• If you are in a season of death and grief, may God hold you gently through the process.
• In His good time, may He reveal to you new life that was emerging all the while.

 

May the Lord bless you and keep you. May He make his face shine upon you and be gracious to you. May the Lord turn his face toward you and give you peace.

Is it dirt, or is it Soil?

“Then the Lord God formed a man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being.” Genesis 2:7

 

My entry today is about something strangely close to my heart.

Dirt.

 

Soil, actually.

 

Dirt vs. Soil – What’s the Difference?

 

There is a difference between dirt and soil. The Soil Science Society of America defines dirt as “displaced soil.”

 

The stuff someone tracked in my house on the bottom of their shoe is called dirt. The dusty layer at the edge of a highway, which herbicides have stripped of all plant material, is called dirt. If it’s messy and inconvenient and we want to get rid of it, we call it dirt. 

 

How is soil different? If you paid good money for it from a quality farm or garden center, or you spent months or years cultivating and fertilizing and PH-balancing it so that you can grow your prized tomatoes or hydrangeas, you will call it soil. 

 

The difference is how you understand its value.  

What is valuable?

 

Jesus had a different view of what is valuable than most of the people around him.

 

“Truly I tell you, this poor widow has put more into the treasury than all the others.” Mark 12:43

  

“Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? And not one of them is forgotten before God.” Luke 12:6-7

 

“For it is the one who is least among you all who is the greatest.”  Luke 9:48  

 

“The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’” Matthew 25:40

Remembering Where we came from

 

Around 3,500 years ago, the Jewish and Christian holy scriptures told our origin story like this: the Creator of the universe formed a person out of topsoil and breathed sacred life and spirit into it. God made it this way and pronounced it “Very Good.” Thus, humankind was made, according to the book of Genesis. 

 

“Then the Lord God formed a man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being.” Genesis 2:7

 

Practical observation and life science confirm the bible’s account that we are made from soil. 

 

I am made of Soil

 

Let’s have a quick refresher on the nutrient cycle: The plant consumes nourishment from the soil, embodying the soil’s nutrients in its cell structures. The animal consumes and embodies nourishment from the plant. Now the animal also contains the nutrients from the soil. The human consumes the plant and the animal, embodying the elements that first came from the soil. With every meal I consume, I am very literally being made of the materials that came out of the soil. The very same materials that worms eat and discard is literally what makes up the cells of my body and blood. 

 

“I am sacred. I am wild. I am earth and heaven’s child,” sings Charity Muse on her album Dirt Church Hymns. 

 

So was Jesus

 

The books of Matthew and Luke both record Jesus’s last supper with his closest friends. 

 

“Jesus said, when you eat the bread, remember ‘This is my body, which was broken for you.’” Luke 22:19

 

Jesus often spoke in mysteries. But in this case, there is also a very practical reality to his words. Jesus reminded his disciples that the person they worship as the Son of God is made up of the very same materials that compose their bread and wine. His disciples were to remember the body of God incarnate was given so that they could be nourished. The elements that nourish us are of Him and from Him, and they are sacred. 

What Is treated like dirt?

 

I wonder what I have thought of as dirt, when God made it to be soil. Have I thought of myself as dirt, when God made me to be soil? 

 

God is often germinating a seed in places where most of us only see an inconvenient mess. Where others see dirt, God might be inviting us to see something sacred – something He has created on purpose and for a purpose.

Do I have faith in the abundant and flourishing potential God breathed into each carefully crafted individual and the collective whole of His world? Is there a dry and infertile area in my life that needs to be fed and watered so it can produce an abundant crop as God intended?

 

Some of us might need to take a moment and ask God to open our hearts to receive the unfathomable love and care with which He created us and continues to nurture us day by day. 

 

My prayer today is that God will give me the eyes to see the value of what God created;  give me a heart that treasures God’s gifts; and give me the wisdom to to care for His treasures well.

An invitation to consider

 

• Ask God for eyes to see and ears to hear what he wants to teach you today. 
  
• Read Matthew 13. 
  
• Go outside and find some soil. Hold it in your hand. Consider that this soil you’re holding is the building blocks of the food that nourishes and sustains your physical body.
  
• Take a moment to allow yourself to see a gift given by God and feel gratitude for it.
  
• Some of us might want to take a moment to ask God what we are treating like dirt, when God created it to be soil. If He has given you a new awareness, how would He like you to respond?

May the Lord bless you and keep you. May He make his face shine upon you and be gracious to you. May the Lord turn his face toward you and give you peace.

How to protect a garden from aphid infestation, a devotional

The Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to cultivate it and protect it.  Genesis 2: 15

 

Aphids: a gardener’s challenge

Aphids are sap-suckers. When an aphid colony settles on a host plant, the tiny insects pierce the tender stems and leaves of plants and suck out energy-rich liquid from the plant’s veins.

Sap-suckers can weaken their host plant

Aphids can do a lot of damage to a garden in a short amount of time. They have a unique reproductive capability whereby, under certain environmental conditions, they give birth to a bunch of clones of themselves (eek!) that are each already pregnant (eek again!) with up to 100 additional offspring (EEEEEKKK!). If aphids find a vulnerable plant in an unprotected ecosystem, an aphid colony will explode in population within a matter of days. 

When aphids settle on a host plant in an area where there are not enough natural predators, they can quickly exhaust their host to the point that it can no longer sustain the colony. Then, the aphid colony will leave the damaged plant and move on to a new host.  I find myself drawing parallels to times when I myself and my own species have exhibited aphid-like behaviors. And perhaps it will be insightful to consider both the aphid and the human as we continue.  

What is a gardener to do in the event of an aphid uprising? 

Indiscriminate Destruction is not the answer

For some, the first instinct might be to go on the offense. Bring out the pesticides! As it turns out, insecticides tend to be ineffective on aphids, since these particular creatures quickly build up a tolerance. Not only that, but insecticides can create devastating collateral damage by killing beneficial insects like pollinators. 

Letting aphids run rampant is also not the answer

Personally, offensive action is not my go-to strategy. But my default can produce equally undesirable results. I tend to lean toward a hands-off approach. At one point in time, my response to an aphid infestation was to shrug and say to myself, “aphids will be aphids.“  And maybe even, “Gosh, that’s terrible for that poor plant. I’m so glad I’m not like those greedy, undisciplined aphids.”  

protecting the garden

The question of what to do about aphids has me thinking carefully about when it’s necessary to protect against harm and knowing how to do it wisely. 

It’s fairly straightforward for me to understand that I should make every effort to avoid acting in harmful ways to those around me. It’s not always easy, but it is straightforward. I understand that I am responsible for my own behavior. I am obligated to consider my actions and determine whether they are harmful. When they are, I ought to change my behavior. Again, I don’t always do this, but I understand that I should.

But what about when someone is being harmed by someone else. What is my responsibility in such cases? Certainly there is a lot of nuance and each situation is unique. 

I generally take a “live and let live” approach. I lean into the conviction that we should be careful not to judge others, that we should be merciful as God is merciful, and that God Himself will convict where necessary. While I believe all of this is true, the aphid teaches me not to be a bystander in cases where harm is being done to the unprotected. 

In the case of an aphid infestation, I as the steward of my garden, have an opportunity and responsibility to take action to rescue the plant from attack, reduce suffering for the garden as a whole, and even prevent detriment to the aphid colony itself, which literally eats itself out of house and home. 

Aphids, it turns out, do not typically awaken to the error of their ways and begin practicing moderation and self-control through the prompting of their own collective conscience. 

For the health of the garden, God designed boundaries for aphids and people. Sometimes, the ecosystem enforces the boundary. It is possible, even probable, that sometimes I may be called upon to enforce a healthy boundary. 

rebalance

After an aphid population explosion, the garden ecosystem is out of balance and generally can’t right itself without help. A gardener can and should intervene by manually removing infested parts of plants and destroying them.

But experienced gardeners will tell you the best way to prevent aphids from destroying a garden is a slow and inconvenient solution that must be maintained over seasons and years. The most effective protection against infestation is this: to encourage the health of the garden as a whole and within each of its parts (even the aphid). 

Why? Because a thriving garden can withstand stress. A healthy garden can support a reasonable population of aphids, while keeping them from breaching the boundaries of balance. Keeping a garden healthy starts with good soil that produces well-fed, nutrient-rich plants. This creates an environment that welcomes a diverse population of insects, including predators like ladybugs and lacewings who feed on aphids. When the plant and animal population is diverse and healthy, every species has enough to eat and a place to live.  

cultivate and protect

I trust God can use anything to draw us close to His love and show us how He is working in and around us, if we have eyes to see it. Here’s what God is showing me through aphids. 

I am reminded of Genesis 2:15, where the ancients explained the Divine design for the relationship between God and people and the world: 

The Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to cultivate it and protect it.  Genesis 2: 15

responsibility And stewardship

In the beginning, the Creator designed the world such that everything He created was in a pleasing relationship with Him and with each other. In this context, people were gifted with an important privilege and responsibility to the world around them – to reflect the image of God by both cultivating and protecting all He created. 

Today, I am thinking about what the bible shows us about our responsibility to protect.

The Hebrew words used in Genesis for “cultivate” and “protect” are “abad” and “shamar”. This word pairing is the same one used in Leviticus to describe the duties of the Levites with respect to caring for the temple, the dwelling of God. Shamar means “to guard”, or “to watch over protectively.”  

Let me pause there for a moment. 

For evangelicals reading this post, let me point out that the words “abad” and “shamar” – or to “cultivate” and “protect” – were used before “the fall”  (the theological concept of the point at which sin entered the world, resulting in suffering and separation from God). God didn’t observe the world falling apart and then devise a mitigation plan for good guys to start protecting their tribes from the bad guys that had suddenly appeared. 

From the very beginning, before anything went awry, the Creator’s good and perfect design was for people to participate with God in building something beautiful together and protecting it against imbalances that might prevent it from thriving. In the beginning, God gave all humankind the responsibility and privilege to partner with Him in caring for and protecting the world He created and everything in it. 

God calls us to protect, not to take vengeance

In the case of aphids or any person or thing that has caused harm, we are not called to take vengeance. The person or thing itself is part of God’s good design for the world.  After all, God created them. John says, “Through Christ all things were made.” (John 1: 3) and Paul agrees in Col 1:16. Paul and John don’t exclude the aphid nor the cyberbully from “all things” and neither should we.

Instead, we are called to protect the wellbeing of what God created. 

Whereas aphids – given unrestrained access – are destructive to the ecosystems upon which many species depend (including aphids themselves), the Creator has caused natural forces to restrain them. Take, for example, the many predatory insects He created to eat aphids like the assassin bug and the lacewing. 

God has also given humans the ability to intervene, and the responsibility of doing it with care and discernment so that the impact is in line with His good and pleasing will.  “And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.” Romans 8:28. 

By helping to rebalance when appropriate and then supporting healthy conditions, we contribute to an environment where all members of the community have an opportunity to live a healthy, balanced life and contribute to the wellbeing of the whole.

My response to this insight from the aphid is to continually ask God for wisdom to discern who and what He has charged me to protect, and how to act on that responsibility in alignment with His will. I must also continually search myself, asking God how He is calling me to protect from destructive tendencies within myself.

 

when it is my job?

In some cases it might seem obvious who I am charged with caring for and protecting. For example, most everyone would agree that I have a responsibility to care for and protect my children and my household. But, my neighbors might object if I jump over their fence and attempt to prune their rose bush without an invitation. Let’s consider another scenario: if I witness a neighbor’s child being harmed on the other side of the fence, now it is my responsibility to intervene regardless of who owns the title of the property where the harm is occurring. 

It can be messy and complicated to determine what I am called to protect and even messier to determine how. Discernment and wisdom is needed. And frankly, I’ll probably get it wrong, a lot. But we can know He has told us in the scriptures that his will is for us to protect the vulnerable. 

“Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress.”  – James 1:27

“Defend the weak and the fatherless; uphold the cause of the poor and the oppressed.” – Psalm 82:3

“Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves, for the rights of all who are destitute. Speak up and judge fairly; defend the rights of the poor and needy.” – Proverbs 31:8-9

“This is what the Lord says: ‘Do what is just and right. Rescue from the hand of the oppressor the one who has been robbed.” Jeremiah 22:3

God’s whole creation was designed with care and protection built-in at every turn. We are all responsible to care for and protect each other. Sometimes my personal responsibility is to act directly. Sometimes it’s to  empower another member of the body to take action. Sometimes I am not even aware of how we are all interconnected to create a resilient whole. God sees all the parts and causes them to work together for the good of those who love him and are called according to his purpose. 

My prayer today: Lord, thank you for inviting me to help you care for what you have created. Let me be willing to serve in whatever capacity brings you glory. Give me eyes to see the beauty of what you created and faith in your provision to protect and sustain it through any storms or pestilence that may come. Show me when you intend for me to be the instrument of your provision and protection. Direct me toward what you have charged me to cultivate or protect, equip me for the job, and give me the wisdom and courage to obey your call.

An Invitation to consider

 

• Take a moment to be still with the Creator of heaven and earth. Ask God to give you eyes to see and ears to hear what He would like to show you today.

 

• Consider with gratitude and awe the balance of all of life that hangs moment by moment on God’s good and pleasing design, his mercy, his protection, and his love for everything He has created.

 

• Ask the Creator of the universe how He would like to expand your awareness and capacity to love what He has placed under your care and stewardship.

 

• Ask the Spirit to show you if there is a step He is calling you to take to care for or protect something He created and loves.

 

• Be brave to step toward what God has called you to. Ask God to give you the strength for the job He has assigned. He certainly will.

 

May the Lord bless you and keep you. May He make his face shine upon you and be gracious to you. May the Lord turn his face toward you and give you peace.

 

Who is My Neighbor?

On one occasion an expert in the law stood up to test Jesus. “Teacher,” he asked, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?”

“What is written in the Law?” he replied. “How do you read it?”

He answered, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’; and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’”

“You have answered correctly,” Jesus replied. “Do this and you will live.”

But he wanted to justify himself, so he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?” Luke 10:25-29

Milkweed Assassin

In its nymph stage, the milkweed assassin bug has a vivid, orange body with black antennae and slender, jointed legs. The other day, I noticed an assemblage of these creatures prowling on my viburnum leaves. I’m a novice gardener, and my first reaction was concern. What harm might these insects inflict on my garden? 

Friendly Neighbor or Alien Invader?

Once I became aware that I was sharing space with these creatures, I had several possible options. I might decide they are unwanted intruders and try to evict them. I might be so terrified by their presence, I avoid the garden or tear it out. I might ignore them altogether. I might try aggressively to befriend them and likely get stung in the process. 

whose Garden Is it?

Or, I could stop for a minute and re-center the Creator. I could remember the garden is God’s. I am His servant, placed here as a steward. 

I could ask with awe and wonder, ‘What good, pleasing, and perfect design does God have in mind by placing me and the milkweed assassin as neighbors in His garden?’

Becoming Neighborly.

A bit of research and observation showed me something I hadn’t expected. Besides having a rad name, the milkweed assassin is also a highly beneficial garden bug. Like the dragonfly and ladybug, it is an efficient predator that consumes multitudes of aphids and mosquitoes. Whereas a colony of aphids can quickly destroy a plant by sucking out its sap, the milkweed assassin doesn’t harm plants in the least. 

It occurs to me that before I became aware of my milkweed assassin neighbors, we were already influencing each other’s lives through God’s gracious plan.

Unbeknownst to me, as I was building a garden for my own enjoyment, I was also helping to build a nice neighborhood for the assassins – cool, shady homes and a plentiful food supply. Meanwhile, by feeding themselves, milkweed assassins were helping by preventing the garden from being decimated by an exploding aphid population.

What’s different now is awareness, a choice between fear and curiosity, and a likelihood that choice will influence future decisions that might help or harm these neighbors. 

We know that God didn’t give us a pass to love only those that are helpful and desirable to us. In Mathew, Jesus commanded his followers to love our enemies and do good to those that hate us. In fact, this is how others should be able to identify us…by our love.

Still, sometimes loving our neighbor brings unexpected joys.

Today, as I am writing this, I caught a glimpse of one of those bright orange beauties on the viburnum growing just outside my kitchen window. I am delighted. It’s a new joy to be able to offer them a bit of housekeeping to keep their home shrub healthy and comfortable. And, I can now appreciate the work they are doing to keep the insect population balanced in the garden.

I would even say, I love this strange neighbor of mine. 

What does it mean to Love My Neighbor?

The command “love your neighbor as yourself” is recorded in Leviticus 19 and comes with some additional guidance about what it means to love your neighbor. 

“When you reap the harvest of your land, you shall not wholly reap the corners of your field, nor shall you gather the gleanings of your harvest. And you shall not glean your vineyard, nor shall you gather every grape of your vineyard; you shall leave them for the poor and the stranger: I am the LORD your God. You shall not steal, nor deal falsely, nor lie to one another. And you shall not swear by My name falsely, nor shall you profane the name of your God: I am the LORD. You shall not cheat your neighbor, nor rob him. The wages of him who is hired shall not remain with you all night until morning. You shall not curse the deaf, nor put a stumbling block before the blind, but shall fear your God: I am the LORD. You shall do no injustice in judgment. You shall not be partial to the poor, nor honor the person of the mighty. In righteousness you shall judge your neighbor. You shall not go about as a talebearer among your people; nor shall you take a stand against the life of your neighbor: I am the LORD. You shall not hate your brother in your heart. You shall surely rebuke your neighbor, and not bear sin because of him. You shall not take vengeance, nor bear any grudge against the children of your people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself: I am the LORD.” 

Curious to explore further? Here are some ideas to consider.

• Take a walk near where you live, go to school, work, or play. Ask God to give you eyes to see a neighbor, human or otherwise, that is unfamiliar to you.

• Invest a little energy into respectfully learning what this neighbor might want to share about themselves. Where do they live? How do they spend their time? What foods do they love? In what ways are they thriving? In what ways are they struggling?

• Ask God to give you a heart to love this neighbor and to show you how. 

May the Lord bless you and keep you. May He make his face shine upon you and be gracious to you. May the Lord turn his face toward you and give you peace.

Local Gifts from Savanah and Southeast Georgia

I was inspired by a post in a Facebook group asking for recommendations of local items which could be collected into a gift basket. What a great way to support communities in and around Savannah while giving thoughtful gifts that are also more sustainable. I’ve collected some of the group’s recommendations for sustainable gift ideas from Southeast Georgia and added a few of my own in this article. 

Gift Ideas	Where to Find It (local businesses)
Cookies made in Savannah	Byrd Cookie Company
Handmade soap in Pooler	Buff City Soap
Savannah whiskey, bourbon & spirits	Ghost Coast Distillery
Plants, flower baskets, locally-sourced produce and foods	Polk’s Plus Market
Tea, hot sauce, honey, tinctures from an urban farm in Southeast Georgia	Prewitt Homestead
Candy and pralines made in Savannah	River Street Sweets
Georgia-grown seasonings	Salt Table
Honey and body care	Savannah Bee Company
Coffee roasted in Savannah	Savannah Coffee Roasters
Gourmet popcorn	Savannah Rae’s
Beer brewed in Savannah	Service Brewing

Experience Gift Ideas	Where to Find It (local businesses)
Cooking Class	Chef Darin’s Kitchen Table
Music Lessons	Downbeat Music Center, Pooler
Escape Room	Escape Savannah
Painting Party	Painting with a Twist Pooler
Massage or Facial	Pooler Day Spa
Guided Kayak Tour	Savannah Canoe and Kayak

Buying Local is More Sustainable

Did you know that buying local does more than support your community and local economy? It is often a more sustainable choice too. Buying local usually reduces the carbon footprint of your purchase by eliminating emissions that come from transporting items to warehouses and retail centers.  Get to know your local growers, craftspeople, and producers to learn how they care for their communities and ecosystems.

More Sustainable Gift-wrapping Options

In general, the less packaging, the better for the planet. If you use wrapping paper, check for options that are recyclable. Papers that have glitter or metallic bits usually can’t be recycled.

For smaller items, you could give your paper grocery bags an extra stop on their way to the recycler by having your kids decorate the bags with hand-drawn pictures for a giftwrap that is not only more environmentally-friendly, but also fun to give and receive. Consider wrapping an item in a kitchen or bath hand-towel which can be used instead of thrown away. 

Do you know of a local gift item that should be added to the list?  Feel free to drop it in a comment.