Garage Sale Musings

So my husband and I have been preparing to have a garage sale this week.  This is the first one we have had in nine years.  As you can imagine we have gathered a lot of stuff over the years.

The impetus for the sale was when our garage became partially filled with stuff that isn't even ours. Our neighbor sold his home and moved to a smaller place a couple of weeks ago.  It seems that all the items that he couldn't store at his new place moved into our garage.

So we starting looking around at the things we have shoved into storage over the years and realized we have way too much stuff.  And that got me thinking.

My first thought was 'Wow, we have really been blessed.'  And we have been and continue to be.  God has been gracious and generous with us.  We have never lacked anything. And for that I am constantly grateful and humbled. 

My second thought was 'Wow, look at all the money we spent.'  Seriously.  We pretty much have everything our daughter has owned for the first five years of her life.  All the clothes, all the equipment, everything.  And we also have an amazing array of other flotsam.  There is probably more than $10,000 worth of stuff in the garage right now.  And even if every last item sold we would only have about $1,000 to show for it.  UPDATE: We brought in just under $2,000 from the garage sale.  From what I have been told, that is a big deal.  Told ya I had a LOT of stuff.

This led me to my third thought, "Wow, what a waste.'  Now granted there are many baby related items we truly did need (or at least relied heavily upon); but there is also so much stuff that we thought was super cool at the time be bought it, that now is in the junk category.  It was a rather disheartening feeling that came over me. What gives?

And as often happens in my reflective moments, clarity came to me through the Word of God.

¹⁹ “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. ²⁰ But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. ²¹ For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also."  Matthew 6:19-21

It is interesting that my husband has been having the same thoughts.  The garage sale has made very real to us the Biblical truth that stuff is fleeting and that things cannot bring satisfaction. The only satisfaction in life can be found in a living relationship with the Living God.  Everything else is headed for a garage sale.

Shared with:
Gratituesday at Heavenly Homemakers

About me

I am forty-something living in the northern plains of the mid-west. I have a wonderful husband and five year old daughter. And now I know why people have children in their twenties rather than their forties. We have friends from high school with grandchildren the age of our daughter.

So we are pretty much never going to be able to retire. But we are also not able to sink quietly into old age either. Old age is a sneaky bastard. Before you know it you are planning your schedule around reruns of Jeapordy and a late dinner at 4:30.

I have been practicing law for twenty years and before that I was a chemist.  I have my own law firm so my schedule is pretty much my own, which has been really helpful having been a mostly full time mom for the last five years.  When my little one goes to kindergarten in the fall my clients are going to be happy to see more of me.  I will probably cry.  OK I know I will cry.  Which brings me back to the point of this blog. In a perfect world, in the fall I won't be actively practicing law anymore.

I love Jesus, plants, animals, computer games, epic fantasy (that is a type of literature), wine, chocolate, useless trivia and Handy Manny. I am bossy, opinionated, and unable to not speak my mind which actually makes me a good attorney but not such a good employee hence why I work for myself.  That last trait also makes me a challenging friend to have but I am also loyal, honest, trustworthy and kind (in a brutally honest sort of way).

I was born and raised in California, went to law school on the East Coast, and now, live here in flyover land.  My husband is a Texas boy and a horticulturist. We have lived up here for thirteen years and now think it is time to make a big change.

Me in my happy place (a decade or two ago)

We have made small steps along the way: trying to live a more simple and sustainable life; trying to become more self-sufficient; learning new skills; getting out of debt; reevaluating our priorities; and many more.  Now we are trying to work out a move to the country to live and start our own related business.  Details to come!