Bruce handed Wayne his bag of new things – new clothing items to replace the soiled ones he was wearing. He also handed him two trash bags – a white one and a black one. He suggested that Wayne go change, and put the soiled clothes in the black bag, and the extra new clothes in the smaller white bag. He had nothing to carry his things in, so this made perfect sense. Wayne went and changed clothes, and came out of the bathroom with everything, new and old, clean and soiled, all of it – in the black trash bag. Assuming that he had misunderstood his advice, Bruce tried again to explain the benefit of putting the clean clothes in a clean bag, instead of the bag that had his old clothes inside. Wayne blankly looked at Bruce, took another trash bag that Bruce was handing him, and shoved it down into the black bag with everything else, and walked out the door.
Wait? What?
Brand new clothes shoved into a trash bag with pee soaked clothes??? Our best hopes and desires for Wayne, in the form of brand new clothes, literally shoved in a trash bag and disregarded.
Wayne isn’t all that different from countless others who walk through our doors every day. Not the indigent, homeless or destitute. People just like you and me. In fact some of them ARE you and me. Relationships, dreams, callings, a relationship with God and the accompanying peace and hope that relationship offers. Yet, more often that not, we throw those things into our personal baggage of sin and failures.
What have you discarded or disregarded? Is it a calling? A dream? An opportunity? A friendship?
What is that thing that God has offered to you, that you have looked at with a blank stare saying “thank you” with your words but “no thank you” with your life?
I’m begging you to take it out of the trash, dust it off, take hold of it and embrace the gifts He has given to you. It may not be too late.
Turn in that application.
Write that first chapter.
Pick up the phone and make the call.
Pray the prayer.
Don’t throw it away.
B E H I N D / T H E / B A R 
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