In my fundraising efforts I decided I would do a garage sale!
A win, win…right!
Get rid of stuff while raising money for the race!!!
So I set a date, arranged with some friends to have it at their house, and began the sorting, compiling, organizing, filtering through… It took days, weeks… even… quite a few long nights of sorting and asking the question “do you really need this?”
Three questions go through my mind as I’m sorting:
1. Do you need it for the race?
2. Is it something that was the family’s, or has great sentimental value?
3. Are you using it now or will you use it before you go?
If I don’t answer yes to those, then I put it in the garage sale pile…
As I do this I’m finding that I have a lot of stuff… like a whole lot of stuff!!!
Also, asthe days go on I sneak in a fourth question… Can you use this for something in the future? This is a dangerous question for me, as those of you that know me, know I tend to have about 5-10 projects floating around in my head at once! I tend to see the potential in things! I have a hard time letting go when I know that it can be used for something!
Any who, I’m sorting through my stuff and creating quite a mess in the process! AsI do this myroom is transforming before my eyes… it’s changing…
Things are taken off the walls, furniture pieces are cleared and moved, decorations are boxed up… it’s all changing… (as you’ve read my other post)
This is really hard for me! This change!I have to remind myself that this really isn’t about me, this change isn’t for me, it’s for the Lord and me being obedient to what he is calling me to do….
…The day before the big day, my friends and roommate help me take all the stuff over to the sale location…so it can be a quick set up in the morning!
So after weeks of packing, sorting, organizing, the day has finally arrived!
Garage sale day!!! (Well it should really be called a Yard Sale, because no Garage!)
We get up at the crack of dawn… well it seems like that anyways!!! We have our “Go…” shirts on ready to spur conversations, answer questions, and bargain! We even have drinks to sell and homemade lemon cupcakes made especially for this event!!!
We arrive and start putting out the merchandise getting it all displayed and organized! Someone puts up the signs and we’re a go… As we continue to put out the last of the stuff people start to arrive…
All is good… then we feel a rain drop!
Oh, surely it’s only a quick few light rain drops…. It will pass quickly!
Then, it starts to pick up! We cover what we can, with what we have…
The the sky opens up and yep… it was a good old Charleston Gully Washer! With some lighting and thunder… so we’re all huddled up under the tiny porch…
Watching and watching…. as most of our stuff gets soaked THROUGH!!!
I’m at a mix of how I’m feeling right now, because to be honest a good cry would be great… add in some hysterical laughter too! And that sums up what I want to do…
Lord why?
Have you forgotten that I’m doing this for you? Remember this is to raise money to follow your plans for me?
At the same time I’m asking these questions silently to the Lord… I’m also embracing the fact that it is what it is!?
And the Lord has a plan! Although I might not understand it then/now He has one! Justbe faithful and trust!
Just be Faithful and Trust!
Be Faithful and Trust!
BE FAITHFUL and TRUST!
…Throughout the rain, We still had people get out of their cars and look at our stuff under the umbrellas as if nothing was happening! One lady even mentioned that it was more fun this way?!?
…We sold quite a few clothes… saying that everything was “organically pre-washed” and making light of the fact that they were in fact soaking wet!
It did clear up and we continued to sell what we could… by this time every thing was soaked! But people still came and looked through and found some stuff!
Yes, I did sell some stuff and raised some money… it’s not how much I was hoping for…
But what I’ve come to realize is that the Lord gave me a one of a kind experience with friends! You see it didn’t go according to plans… at all… we got wet… I mean soaking wet… we had to do more work…(wash all the clothes before we could donate/give to anyone)…we lost money on the drinks and cupcakes… (but they kept us hydrated and our spirits up)…
And so much extra moving of furniture and stuff… (due to it not being sold)….
But the Lord had a plan!
You see it opened my eyes to really grasp how important your community is, your friends and family!
My roommate…not only cleared out her room and closet multiple times to donate to my garage sale, she sat/stood in the pouring rain and moved/loaded/sorted/whatever needed to be done to help! and so much more… She even got a lovely farmers tan 🙂
My friends whose yard I used… gave up their Friday afternoon to make trip after trip for my furniture and clothes, not to mention Saturday…stored my goodies before hand, pulled them all out of the house at the crack of dawn, got drinks and their daughter to make cupcakes, helped me set prices and negotiate, made signs, stood out in the rain, made bacon to cheer us up!, stored my big furniture when it didn’t sell, even took over the sale of my furniture on Facebook, and became my #1 sales associate/cheerleader!, and so much more…
When I think of these friends these verses come to mind:
“Every time I think of you I give thanks to God. Whenever I pray,I make my requests for all of you with joy, for you have been my partners in spreading the Good News.” Philippians 1:3-5
Yes, it’s a long blog posts to say thank you Lord for putting these people in my life!
I know it’s not how you thought it would turn out… I didn’t expect this either! But I’m blessed to have such good friends who are with me in the good days and the pouring down rainy yard sale days!
I would say I made Bank!
