Mushroom Christmas
Are you dreaming of a white Christmas? Apparently, that's the thing to do this time of year. Bing Crosby sang about it specifically, and Christmas snow drifts festively through most songs and movies. But, having lived all my life near the Gulf Coast, I have never seen one. We have had some heavy Christmas Morning frosts here and there, but we have never enjoyed a white Christmas. We generally get a good deal of precipitation in December, but it's rain.
So, unlike the children in Frosty's town of magical snow, we haven't had any snowmen at Christmas. Along the Gulf Coast, there are no winter wonderlands, glistening snow-covered lanes, or carolers out in the snow. But we have mushrooms, lots of them! Actually, we have experienced a lot of rain recently, and my yard is already dotted with different types of mushrooms.
Mushrooms are fungi, which reminds me of a joke. A mushroom is having a hard time making friends. So he says, "Why doesn't anyone like me? I'm a fungi!" (fun guy…get it?) I know. Sharing that was unnecessary. But it cracks me up.
Anyway, fungi feed on waste. They transform organic waste into by-products that feed or fertilize other plants. Isn't it stunning that God has created a process that uses everything? Nothing has to be wasted.
In my research for this blog, I discovered that experiments are now successfully using different types of mushrooms to help dissolve plastics. Additionally, some very cool research involves certain mushrooms that glow when they feed off phosphorus. These are being used to help detect landmines and unexploded ammunition. Think about it! Hopefully, landfills will diminish if we can develop a way to help plastics dissolve. In addition, clearing fields and mountainsides of landmines can allow people to reclaim the land for farming, working, or even playing. So both of these discoveries can lead to land recovery and better lives.
Do you have a landfill full of plastic? As you've gone through life, have you filled containers with hurts while you were pressing hard to keep going? Do you have a field full of obsolete landmines? Perhaps some memories that linger bring stress or mourning. You may be haunted by bad decisions or maybe nasty wounds. If so, you are not alone. The world is full of the walking wounded.
However, just as mushrooms process dead material and support plant growth, we can pull lessons from bad memories and grow in some areas ourselves. Some years, experiences, or relationships might have been painful, but we don't have to consider them as being wasted.
Be glad, people of Zion, rejoice in the Lord your God, for he has given you the autumn rains because he is faithful. He sends you abundant showers, both autumn and spring rains, as before.
Joel 2:23
We may experience rain instead of snow this time of year, but we can enjoy the mushrooms' odd, gnarly beauty. Let's allow them to remind us that bad things can be recycled and processed, transforming them into something better.
And when we celebrate the birth of Jesus, whether in snow or rain, or with snowmen or mushrooms, let us remember that His blood and His love can recycle the dead elements of our lives. With Jesus, nothing has to be wasted.
