Rubber pellets

Some of the most seemingly insignificant things can actually turn out to be quite important.

On football fields with artificial turf, you may notice these small, black things that pop into the air when you run and end up all over your shoes by the time you leave the field. Since I've started coaching track, I've noticed a rather lofty increase in the amount of these pieces of rubber on my carpet at home, especially because there used to be none. I definitely find myself vacuuming more (or at least thinking about doing so, anyway).

Bottom line: I've really only regarded these things as annoying and superfluous additions to the track area, and I really can't stand it when they get inside of my shoes—which is quite often, of course.

But, as it turns out, these rubber pellets are actually quite essential. They are made from recycled tires, and the added bounciness/flexibility they provide contribute to less injuries for the athletes who play on these fields. One study confirmed such findings.

So, basically something I thought was simply a complete nuisance is actually a valuable commodity to society. Go figure.

My track girls collected these.

I think we often get caught up in confusing the rubber pellets in our lives for unimportant things that just get in the way. Far too often, we miss just how valuable certain things can be. Instead of realizing their positive contributions to our lives, we are blinded by how frustrated they make us.

And it's usually the little things—rain drops can be pestering and can dampen (obvious pun intended) our plans, but they are so necessary to various aspects of this world (plus, every once in a while, I think it's good when they do soil what we have scheduled, because this time allows for us to slow down and maybe curl up on the couch with a blanket); I once tried to remove my freckles with lemon juice, but over time I came to accept that they just define who I am—they may not serve some overly special purpose, but some of them can be pretty neat; sand is so aggravating (especially when you go to the beach, and it seems like ALL of it came back home in your beach bag with you), but it is essential in the ocean setting—plus, it feels fabulous between your toes and helps you appreciate a bit more the time you have in such a marvelous setting; glitter and confetti can be so obnoxious when they end up all over the place for what seems like the next few years after using them, but they sure do make things pretty; things like salt, sugar, flour, and pepper can make complete messes in your kitchen, but they are rather useful ingredients in a lot of the things we eat on a daily basis.

I could go on, but I won't. I think you get the picture.

One problem I think we face is that we treat other people like rubber pellets. Instead of embracing the value they bring to this world, we have a tendency to focus on the negative things about them—whether it's looks, the way they treat us or don't treat us, or the way they conduct themselves. The truth of the matter, though, is that regardless of how pestering some people seem in our lives, they really do matter. They are children of God, and they are here for reasons—just like we are here for some greater purpose. So, instead of seeing the things we don't like about the rubber pellets, we need to let our hearts be opened up to see the true value they have.

I'm going to make it a personal goal not to cringe when I see those pellets crowd up my bags and shoes and invade my clean carpet. And I want to take time to see the beauty in the pellet people in my life, as well.

After all, God placed these rubber pellets on the earth, and the only thing left to do is appreciate the wonder in all He has made.