I was reading a story the other day about communities taking old shopping mall stores and giving them a new purpose, they called it repurposing. It’s really not a new concept, but it is a concept which is needed now more than ever before in the history of the world. We can call it recycling, repurposing or reusing, but whatever we call it, it means the same thing. Taking something which has been discarded or has outlived its original purpose and finding a new use for it.

Aluminum cans have been repurposed for quite awhile. In fact, most of us now seek bins to put our cans in so they can be recycled. It has become second nature to us.

We have been doing the same thing with our clothing. Not many of us throw out clothing that is still useful but doesn’t fit or has gone out of style, we donate it to Goodwill or have a yard sale and try to recoup some of our well-spent money.

Car graveyards have also been repurposing for a number of years. Need a part for your car but don’t want to pay full retail price? A search in an area junk yard may turn up exactly what you need for half the cost. Those vehicles that have donated all their spare parts can then be squashed flat and melted down for a new purpose.

As a nation, we are finally becoming aware of how wasteful we have been and realize just how full our landfills have become with stuff that could have been recycled. Everything from paper to plastic, oil to office equipment and manure to metal can be repurposed.

I was thinking of some non-tangible things that are being reused that you might not imagine could be repurposed. One that I have been enjoying is music. When I get an oldie, goldie song stuck in my brain all I have to do is go to Youtube and type in the title. Chances are someone has downloaded it and repurposed the melody for you and I to enjoy over and over again.

I have some old recipes passed down from my grandmother, to my mother and I plan to pass them on to my children and grandchildren. They are just as tasty today as they were 100 years ago.

Some of the most valuable recycling is the legacy that our parents and grandparents have given us. The values and morals which were handed down to us, can and do still serve a useful purpose. I think so many people see the old values as antiquated or outdated, but I don’t agree. Moral values, integrity and compassion for others should not be tossed into the garbage heap just because they seem old fashioned.

One of my most treasured possessions is my Bible. It is full of old stories that seem irrelevant today, but it can be repurposed and applied to my life because it is a living word. Solomon was right when he said that there is nothing new under the sun. The word of God can take on new meaning when read in the light of current events.

The list of things that can still serve a useful purpose could go on and on, it is never ending. Before you toss something away, think about how it could serve someone else and find a way to repurpose it.