By Karen O’Connor:
Not only can you save money by shopping at a garage sale: your purchases may help someone else, as in the food bank example below.
In my community and maybe yours, Saturday is ‘sale day’—in a yard, garage, or open field where individuals sell their own used household items. Shoppers often find great bargains, including clothes, shoes, kitchen gadgets, tools, toys and so much more. However, I doubt anyone expects to find God at a garage sale.
Certainly I didn’t until one day I stepped back a few paces and simply observed the people selling and the men, women, and children coming and going. It made me smile. Neighbors were chatting comfortably, enjoying a glass of lemonade or a cup of coffee, fingering the various items and then checking their wallets and purses for the money needed to make a purchase. I liked the spirit of friendliness and generosity I saw. Sellers earned a few dollars and the buyers gained some items they wanted. Almost everyone seemed happy.
The church I attend also holds a garage sale each spring, called The World’s Biggest Garage Sale. It’s held on the church campus and all earnings go to the local food bank, Second Harvest. There’s another opportunity to see God at work. People from all over the county show up, looking for great bargains and knowing their dollars will buy food for the homeless and those having hard times. In 2011 earnings exceeded $25,000. What a gift to those in need.
If you offer your food to the hungry and satisfy the needs of the afflicted, then your light shall rise in the darkness and your gloom be like the noonday. [Isaiah 58:10 in the Bible.]
Finding God at a garage sale might be a new thought, but it is definitely possible, for his Spirit is always among his people wherever they are.
See this great video for instructions on how to organize a yard or garage sale.
©Karen O’Connor. Karen is an author, writing mentor, and frequent contributor to the Finding God Daily blog. Visit Karen on the web at www.karenoconnor.com
