Devotions for a Busy Business Person, no. 309 – Using the leavings

Recently, I have been watching my wife Terri at work with what most people would consider scraps.

Pieces of fabric. Buttons without a home. Zippers, ribbons, and bits of texture that would normally be set aside or thrown away. Notions, as they are called in sewing. Leavings.

With care and creativity, she gathers them and begins to assemble something entirely new. A fidget blanket. Each piece has a purpose. Each texture invites touch, memory, engagement. These blankets go to people with mobility and cognitive challenges, offering comfort, stimulation, and connection.

What struck me is nothing she uses is wasted. What was once overlooked becomes essential.

It reminded me of how Jesus works.

“When they had all had enough to eat, he said to his disciples, ‘Gather the pieces that are left over. Let nothing be wasted.’” — John 6:12

After feeding the five thousand, Jesus did not move on and leave the fragments behind. He instructed His disciples to gather them. The miracle was not only in the provision, but in the stewardship of what remained.

In business, we often focus on what is new, scalable, and profitable. But there is an opportunity in the leavings. Unused materials. By-products. Time between projects. People with skills who have been overlooked. Ideas that did not quite fit the first time. Even past failures! What if these are not waste, but resource?

“Let me go to the fields and pick up the leftover grain behind anyone in whose eyes I find favour.” — Ruth 2:2

Ruth saw the edges of the field were not barren, but provision. And in God’s economy, the leavings became the very place of blessing, relationship, and ultimately, redemption.

In a world that is quick to discard, the Kingdom invites us to restore. To see value where others see excess. To build something meaningful from what remains.

Terri’s blankets are small, quiet, beautiful acts of restoration. Her craft points to a much larger truth: God wastes nothing, and neither should we.

• Where are the leavings in your business?
• What sits at the edges, waiting to be gathered?

Prayer

Lord, open my eyes to the resources I overlook. Teach me to steward well what You have already provided. Give me creativity to see value where others see waste, and humility to gather what remains. May my work reflect Your care, where nothing is lost and everything can be redeemed. Amen