Estate Sale

-

My daughter and I stumbled upon an estate sale on our way to go shopping in a nearby town this morning. There wasn't a whole lot there to look at. I did find an old apron I thought was cute. It sort of hit me weird while I was there. I started thinking about all the things laying out on the tables, and piled on blankets on the ground. This was someone's life on display and for sale. Her furniture. Her clothes. Her dishes. Her trinkets. Even her Shirley Temple videos, which I bought a couple of  those because I am a fan. I thought of the lady and how she was probably pretty young when she first watched Shirley Temple movies. These videos must have held some significance for her, taking her back to another time in her life.

Most yard sales are just that - sales. People have them to get rid of stuff they don't want or need anymore and sometimes they are held because the people may need money more than they need their things. But this was different. These were the belongings of someone not walking with us any longer. Not breathing the fresh air or enjoying the beautiful sunshine we had today. This was someone I'd never meet. On this side of heaven anyway. I wonder who she was. Who she loved. And if the lady holding the sale was her daughter.

I think the lady was a kind woman because I found a lot of greeting cards in boxes and stacks on one of the tables. She probably was always looking out to see who she could encourage with a card.

I also noticed a really old bright red high chair with a white metal tray, possibly belonging to one of her babies long ago. She could have held onto it all these years as a reminder of the little ones she once nurtured so tenderly.

I thought of my own life. My own special belongings and trinkets that really do hold such special meaning to me. The baby clothes I'd saved from when my kids were little, our Christmas ornaments that the kids have made for us over the years, my books and journals. I thought about what my life would look like spread out on a table for people to pick through, stopping to take something to add to their own collection of worldly belongings. It was a strange feeling. 

Our lives are so fleeting in this world. I just want to truly appreciate everything God has given me. The breath of life, home, family and friends. A beautiful world to live in.
 I hope you all have a wonderful weekend full of God's blessings.

Until we meet again :)

Comments

  1. CritFebruary 25, 2012 at 7:02 AM

    That was beautiful. It shows the depth of you as a person.
    That's also how I look at things--that's why it's hard for me to go to sales like that.
    It is a good and wonderful quality that you can look past the surface (what everyone else sees) and also see the "essence" of things.
    Thank you for sharing this lovely post :)

    ReplyDelete
  2. JohannaFebruary 27, 2012 at 2:07 PM

    You're welcome, Crit. Thank you for reading. Thank you also for so faithfully posting everyday :) I really enjoy your blog.

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The Difference God Makes

-
So about a month and a half ago, I talked about the story in the Bible with the two demon-possessed guys that lived in the tombs, naked and cutting themselves, at prayer-meeting. Jesus cast the demons out and sent them to live in the herd of pigs. After he restored them, one begged Jesus to take him with him. He wanted to be with Jesus and be His disciple. But Jesus said, "No, go back home and tell them what I have done for you." And the man instantly obeyed - no questions asked. Forgive my loose paraphrase. I decided that since we were on the subject of the two demoniacs that night, I would share an experience that I had when I was a teenager, with them. When I was fourteen, I met a guy when we moved to a new town. I was completely into the heavy-metal scene. So when I showed up at school, he noticed me pretty quickly, wearing my black rock shirts and Levi jacket with the patches. Kids like us all gravitated toward each other because we had a common bond. Plus he thought I
Read more

Old Houses

-
Image
I love old houses. I feel really sad to see them like this. To me this house is still beautiful, still majestic. I imagine all the rooms. All the detailed woodwork and moulding inside, the stairway, the high ceilings and old fixtures that are still intact. Like doorknobs, locks and hinges. Probably some of the original glass is still in the windows. At one point someone must have really loved this house.  This is a storybook house. It reminds me of the "The Secret Garden." It's tucked away and hidden. I can imagine myself wandering through the woods and stumbling upon it. Then bringing paint and other things to fix it up. I read a book once when I was a kid about a girl who found a house and did that, but I can't remember the name. When I see a house like this, it makes me think of the little farm family that once lived here. If I try hard enough I can still see kids running through the yard laughing and mama hanging clothes on the line. Simpler times, simpl
Read more

Down By the River

-
Image
One of my favorite things to do on a Saturday afternoon - hanging out at the river. It was a perfect day. We went for a walk on the trail, enjoying the warm sunshine and cool breeze.  The kids chased butterflies and picked wildflowers. I spent some time down by the river just reflecting on God's beautiful nature and writing in my prayer-journal, while they played. So peaceful. My daughter, Sophie, myself and my youngest daughter, Amanda. Our friend, Martin, with Sophie and Amanda Mandie playing in the dirt. Martin can throw pretty far.  Ahh...JOY!!!!
Read more