A CHICKEN STORY

Her name was Henny Penny.

A cute little black-and-white-feathered chicken.

Let me tell you how she and I became friends.

Many years ago, I lived in a small, two-bedroom rental.  It was a quaint little place – I really liked it.

Except it was on the corner of an intersection that had all kinds of activity.

Evidently, I was the unknowing tenant who resided on "Dead Man's Curve."  In the four years that I lived there, there were at least two bad car accidents, and many near misses.

But I digress.

Suffice it to say, I was used to random *bustle* outside the door.

But one morning, I heard all this shouting.  Looking outside the window, I saw several children, yelling and throwing rocks into the yard!

Of course, like an avenging angel, I swooped out and shouted, "What are you DOING?"

Amidst a cacophony of high-pitched screeching, I was able to determine that their chicken had "escaped" their backyard up the street, and landed in the tree in my side yard.

They wanted it back.

Well, it didn't take a rocket scientist to figure out that these kids were hooligans, and that that poor chicken had barely escaped with her life.

I told them that she was in my backyard, and they weren't allowed on my property.

Grumbling threats – (did I hear someone say *cherry bomb*?) – they stomped off. 

Only to return about half an hour later with a couple of dads in tow.

More shouting, more threats.

However, I basically told them that I wasn't about to let anyone climb a ladder on my property (liability), that they’d better stop their kids (brats) from throwing rocks at my house (let alone the chicken), and if she had a mind to stay – well, that was her choice.

I think they came back another time or two.  I held my ground.  And they gave up.

Well, there she was – Henny Penny – firmly roosted in my tree.

I felt sorry for her.

She'd stay out there all night – in the dark and the cold.

Every time I woke up, I'd see her in the tree.  Every time I'd come home after dark, I'd see her in the tree.  Even when it rained and stormed, I'd see her in the tree.

A few times I saw her on the ground, but as soon as I opened the back door and went outside, she'd fly back up to the tree for safety.

I remember thinking, "How can I get her to trust me?"

Well, of course it's no surprise that she didn't.  After all, who knows what terrible treatment she received at the mercy of those other (horrible) people??

So, I launched a campaign to win her trust.

I'd go out every day and talk to her.  I'd say good night every night.  I'd put chicken feed out for her on the ground.

After a long time, several weeks as I recall, she'd finally stay on the ground when I was outside.  Then, she'd let me get closer and closer to her.

And then…one day…I left the back door open when I went back into the house. 

She walked up the steps and looked in. 

But, as soon as I stepped toward her – back to the tree.

Finally, one day she didn't leave.  

She walked right into my house and let me pick her up!!!

It was so very cool.

From that day forward, she would come into the house every day. 

I can remember picking her up and putting her on my lap, where she'd nestle in and take a nap while I stroked her little red comb and feathers.

It made me so very happy.

I had finally been able to communicate to her that I wasn't like all the other people she had known.  I wasn't mean and vindictive.  

I was kind and gentle and loving – I could be trusted.

I still think about Henny...

And about trust.

Sometimes, in my relationship with God, I'm just like she was – skittish, unsure, scared, distrustful.

Sometimes I base my trust on my past experiences. 

I judge God's character by the various "characters" that have peppered my past. 

I rate His trustworthiness by the people in my life who have hurt, disappointed, rejected, and criticized me.

I stay in the tree.

But isn't there a HUGE part of God's heart that is desperate to show me that HE is not those other people? 

That He is kind and gentle and loving?

That He is eminently worth every ounce of my trust?

It seems to me that in some ways, God is always wooing us "into the house" to rest in His arms.

He is always seeking to show us that He is a very safe place to land.  

He wants us to hide in the shadow of His wings – secure, with no thought of fear.

Yes, I finally won Henny's heart.

But God did an amazing thing to prove His love – He gave up His Son.

Today, I hear Him calling me. 

I see Him standing in the doorway, beckoning me inside where it's warm and safe.

"Sharon, won't you please come down from that tree?"

You know, I think I will.

It's better than sitting out here in the dark!

Do your past experiences ever keep you from trusting God completely today?

Sometimes
God calls us
to break out of our shells.

"'My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me.  I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand.'" (John 10:27-28, ESV)

"'And this is the will of God, that I should not lose even one of all those he has given me, but that I should raise them up at the last day.'" (John 6:39, NLT)

"And you will feel secure, because there is hope; you will look around and take your rest in security." (Job 11:18, ESV)

"We have this as a sure and steadfast anchor of the soul, a hope that enters into the inner place behind the curtain..." (Hebrews 6:19, ESV)

"I waited patiently for the LORD; he inclined to me and heard my cry.  He drew me up from the pit of destruction, out of the miry bog, and set my feet upon a rock, making my steps secure." (Psalm 40:1-2, ESV)

"Those who fear the LORD are secure..." (Proverbs 14:26, NLT)


"Those who live in the shelter of the Most High
will find rest in the shadow of the Almighty.
This I declare about the LORD:
He alone is my refuge, my place of safety;
he is my God, and I trust him...

He will cover you with his feathers.
He will shelter you with his wings.
His faithful promises are your armor and protection.
Do not be afraid of the terrors of the night,
nor the arrow that flies in the day...
nor the disaster that strikes at midday.

Though a thousand fall at your side,
though ten thousand are dying around you,
these evils will not touch you...

If you make the LORD your refuge,
if you make the Most High your shelter,
no evil will conquer you...
For he will order his angels
to protect you wherever you go.
They will hold you up with their hands...

The LORD says, 'I will rescue those who love me.
I will protect those who trust in my name.
When they call on me, I will answer;
I will be with them in trouble.
I will rescue and honor them.
I will reward them with a long life
and give them my salvation.'"


(From Psalm 91, NLT)



Linked with:

SMALL WONDER, MONDAY'S MUSINGS, MONDAYS AT SOUL SURVIVAL, LIFE GIVING LINKUP, GOOD MORNING MONDAYS, MONDAY OF MANY BLESSINGS, THANK GOODNESS IT'S MONDAY, THE ART OF HOMEMAKING MONDAYS, MAKING YOUR HOME SING MONDAY, MUSING MONDAYS, MODEST MONDAY, MOTIVATION MONDAY, LIVING PROVERBS, MOM-TO-MOM MONDAY, MOMENTS OF HOPE, TELL ME A TRUE STORY, TITUS 2 TUESDAY, UNITE LINKUP, WONDERFUL WEDNESDAY, TESTIMONY TUESDAY, TUESDAY TALK, TELL IT TO ME TUESDAYS, RA RA LINKUP, TEACHING WHAT IS GOOD, WISE WOMAN, THE HOMEMAKING PARTY, TELL HIS STORY, WHOLEHEARTED WEDNESDAY, A LITTLE R & R WEDNESDAYS, WORD FILLED WEDNESDAY, THREE WORD WEDNESDAY, COFFEE FOR YOUR HEART, COFFEE & CONVERSATION, WOMEN WITH INTENTION, SITTING AMONG FRIENDS, WEDDED WEDNESDAY, THE LOFT LINKUP, GRACE MOMENTS, GROWING IN GRACE, THANKFUL THURSDAYS, LIVE FREE THURSDAY, THURSDAY FAVORITE THINGS, PARTY AT MY PLACE, SHINE BLOG HOP, THOUGHT-PROVOKING THURSDAY, FROM HOUSE TO HOME, GRACE AT HOME, THOUGHTFUL THURSDAYS, COZY READING SPOT, NO RULES WEEKEND BLOG PARTY, FUNTASTIC FRIDAY, FRIENDSHIP FRIDAY, EVERYDAY TESTIMONY, FAITH FILLED FRIDAY, SPIRITUAL SUNDAYS, FAITH 'N FRIENDS, GRACE & TRUTH, DANCE WITH JESUS, TGI SATURDAYS, FRIDAY FEATURE PARTY, WEEKEND WIND DOWN PARTY, REWIND FRIDAY, WORD OF GOD SPEAK, SMALL VICTORIES SUNDAY, GIVE ME GRACE, 



BLOG = "Blessedly Leaning On God!"

OH LORD, I CANNOT...

Distraught.

Distracted, upset, worried, agitated, panicked, anxious, troubled...

You get the picture.

Have you ever felt that way?

Like life was crashing upon you, wave after wave, and you just can't catch a breath?

Growing up, my family loved going to the beach.

And we loved bodysurfing.

The challenge of catching waves and riding them into shore was great fun!

But one day, the surf was anything but friendly.

And I found myself in trouble.

The waves were particularly big, and kept coming closer and closer together.  I had to keep swimming out to dive under them before they crashed on me, which sometimes worked and sometimes didn't.

I can't tell you the times that I *wiped out*.

Tumbled and tossed, not knowing if I was up or down, panicking that I would ever surface again.  

Desperate for breath… 

Weary, and caught far beyond my ability to get back to safety.

That's the kind of feeling that I'm talking about.

Sometimes it doesn't take big events to make you feel this way – sometimes it's just the smaller stuff that piles up and topples you into a bundle of nerves.


Recently I spent two weeks with my mother.

We had a good time, though it continues to be a difficult journey.

Her helplessness increases, while at the same time her cognitive abilities decline.  And if anyone has dealt with a loved one who suffers from dementia, you know how challenging it is to walk this path.

On the day that I had to leave, things were in turmoil.

Mom has a very tough time letting me go now.

Even when I'm staying with her for a period of time, she is very upset when I have to leave for any reason.  She panics, and asks me over and over if and when I'm coming back.

And, when I tell her that I will be going home in a day or two, she falls apart.

Mind you, we have a caregiver who is with her most days, and my other siblings spend days with her during the week, too.  So Mom is never alone on any day.  But I think she gets used to me being there for longer periods of time, especially overnight, and it's quite disturbing to her when it's time for me to go.

This time was especially painful.

You see, a couple of days earlier, Mom did something to her back, and she could barely walk, even with my help.

And so, I know she was feeling particularly helpless and vulnerable.

My heart was heavy when I got into my car to leave.

On top of those circumstances, there was also *stuff* going on in the rest of the family.

Stresses and medical issues.

Job pressures and financial concerns.

It just seemed like every single person that I love was in some sort of distress, and I felt a deep disquietude in my heart.

Sigh.


I talked to God on the way home.

And later that evening, when I finally sat down, I wrote out my thoughts.

You see, I have this notebook.  

I wouldn't call it a journal, it's just something I write in when I'm nervous.  It helps to get the feelings out on paper.  It seems to lessen the endless ruminating that I do.

So, I wrote – sentence after sentence.  

Releasing a litany of fears and worries, frustrations and burdens.  

Cataloguing my "what if?" and my "why this?" and my "how will this ever work out?" thoughts.  My pen wrote as if possessed, driven by my spiraling emotions.

It has been a very long time since I have felt this helpless.

Oh, how I want to fix everything and make all the bad stuff go away.

I want to intervene, and meddle, and give everyone my opinion.

I want to tinker, dabble, shape, and mold.

I want to take over.

And yet, I can only listen and pray.

It's so hard watching life happen, especially when you have to watch people you love struggle.

I don't like it…

AT. ALL.


Finally, exhausted, I wrote the only other thing I could think of to say:

"Oh Lord, I cannot…"


I ponder those words.

Are they angry, frustrated, weary, broken?

Are they an expression of my fatigue or a plea for His help?

Are they an admission of my powerlessness or a surrender to His will? 

I think it's all of that.  

I cannot fix things.

I cannot change things.

I cannot make everything all right.

I cannot turn off my thoughts.

I cannot take another weary step.

I cannot make life work.

And I find it so incredibly difficult to trust God when things are hard and loved ones are struggling or suffering.

But then I realized the truth – I have nowhere else to turn, and no one else to turn to…

"Oh Lord, I cannot…"


Quietly, I heard a reply:

"Yes, dear Sharon.  But that is the whole point.  YOU cannot…"

Then He reminded me of my life verses:

"Lean on, trust in, and be confident in the Lord with all your heart and mind and do not rely on your own insight or understanding.  In all your ways know, recognize, and acknowledge Him, and He will direct and make straight and plain your paths." (Proverbs 3:5-6, AMP)


Yes, I realized, He isn't asking me to stop caring, or to stop doing what I can do.

But He IS commanding me to not LEAN on my own power to figure life out.  

My abilities are a faulty prop.

And if I lean on them, I will most certainly fall.

I must not rely on my limited comprehension, or put my faith in myself.  

Instead, I must learn to trust God more.  

And certainly part of trusting God is EN-trusting Him with the people I love so much, and committing their life circumstances into His hands.  

It's very hard.  

But in this moment, God reminded me that He loves them far more than I ever could.

He reminded me that He planned every single one of their days, including all the situations that I fret so much about.

He assured me that He listens and He cares.

And He commanded me to remember that HE is firmly in control.

Even when I feel totally out of control – even when I am anxious to take control.

He spoke again:

"Don't worry.  I've got this…"


Oh Lord, I cannot…

I cannot stop worrying without Your help.

I cannot watch life unfold without Your help.

I cannot surrender without Your help.

I cannot trust You without Your help.

I cannot take another step…


And then He spoke the most precious words into my troubled soul…

"It's all right, Sharon…

I CAN."



Do you ever feel that you *cannot*?  How does God speak to you in those moments?

When peace, like a river,
attendeth my way,
When sorrows like sea billows
roll;
Whatever my lot,
thou hast taught me to say,
It is well,
it is well with my soul.

Though Satan should buffet,
though trials should come,
Let this blest assurance
control,
That Christ has regarded
my helpless estate,
And hath shed His own blood
for my soul.

It is well with my soul,
it is well,
it is well with my soul.

(Words by Horatio G. Spafford, 1876)

"'My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts,' says the LORD.  'And my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine.  For just as the heavens are higher than the earth, so my ways are higher than your ways and my thoughts higher than your thoughts.'" (Isaiah 55:8-9, NLT)

"O LORD my God, you have performed many wonders for us.  Your plans for us are too numerous to list.  You have no equal." (Psalm 40:5, NLT)

"'For I know the plans I have for you,' says the LORD.  'They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.  In those days when you pray, I will listen.'" (Jeremiah 29:11-12, NLT)

"…the plans of the LORD stand firm forever, the purposes of his heart through all generations." (Psalm 33:11, NIV)

"The LORD Almighty has sworn, 'Surely, as I have planned, so it will be, and as I have purposed, so it will happen.'" (Isaiah 14:24, NIV)

"Commit everything you do to the LORD.  Trust him, and he will help you." (Psalm 37:5, NLT)

"Give your burdens to the LORD, and he will take care of you.  He will not permit the godly to slip and fall." (Psalm 55:22, NLT)

"I wait quietly before God, for my victory comes from him.  He alone is my rock and my salvation, my fortress where I will never be shaken…Let all that I am wait quietly before God, for my hope is in him.  He alone is my rock and my salvation, my fortress where I will not be shaken.  My victory and honor come from God alone.  He is my refuge, a rock where no enemy can reach me. O my people, trust in him at all times.  Pour out your heart to him, for God is our refuge." (Psalm 62:1-2, 5-8, NLT)

"Casting the whole of your care [all your anxieties, all your worries, all your concerns, once and for all] on Him, for He cares for you affectionately and cares about you watchfully." (1 Peter 5:7, AMP)

"The Lord, the King of Israel, is with you; never again will you fear any harm…'Do not fear…do not let your hands hang limp.  The Lord your God is with you, the Mighty Warrior who saves.  He will take great delight in you…in his love he will…rejoice over you with singing.'" (Zephaniah 3:15-17, NIV)

"…the LORD is in his holy Temple; the LORD still rules from heaven."
(Psalm 11:4, NLT)



Linked with:

SHARING HIS BEAUTY, SMALL WONDER, MONDAY'S MUSINGS, MONDAYS AT SOUL SURVIVAL, LIFE GIVING LINKUP, GOOD MORNING MONDAYS, MONDAY OF MANY BLESSINGS, THE ART OF HOMEMAKING MONDAYS, MAKING YOUR HOME SING MONDAY, MUSING MONDAYS, MODEST MONDAY, INSPIRE ME MONDAY, TELL ME A TRUE STORY, UNITE LINKUP, TITUS 2 TUESDAY, THANK GOODNESS IT'S MONDAY, MOTIVATION MONDAY, TESTIMONY TUESDAY, TUESDAY TALK, TELL IT TO ME TUESDAYS, RA RA LINKUP, TEACHING WHAT IS GOOD, INTENTIONAL TUESDAY, TELL HIS STORY, WISE WOMAN, THE HOMEMAKING PARTY, WHOLEHEARTED WEDNESDAY, A LITTLE R & R WEDNESDAYS, WORD FILLED WEDNESDAY, THREE WORD WEDNESDAY, COFFEE FOR YOUR HEART, COFFEE & CONVERSATION, WOMEN WITH INTENTION, WAITING ON WEDNESDAY, SITTING AMONG FRIENDS, WEDDED WEDNESDAY, THE LOFT LINKUP, ONE WORD COFFEE, GRACE MOMENTS, THANKFUL THURSDAYS, THURSDAY FAVORITE THINGS, LIVE FREE THURSDAY, PARTY AT MY PLACE, SHINE BLOG HOP, THOUGHT-PROVOKING THURSDAY, GRACE AT HOME, THOUGHTFUL THURSDAYS, FROM HOUSE TO HOME, LITTLE THINGS THURSDAY, COZY READING SPOT, NO RULES WEEKEND BLOG PARTY, 100 HAPPY DAYS, BLOGGER SPOTLIGHT PARTY, FRIENDSHIP FRIDAY, EVERYDAY TESTIMONY, FAITH FILLED FRIDAY, SPIRITUAL SUNDAYS, FAITH 'N FRIENDS, MAKE MY SATURDAY SWEET, GRACE & TRUTH, DANCE WITH JESUS, TGI SATURDAYS, FAMILY, FRIENDSHIP & FAITH, WEEKEND WIND DOWN PARTY, LET US GROW, WORD OF GOD SPEAK, SMALL VICTORIES SUNDAY, GIVE ME GRACE, SOCIAL BUTTERFLY SUNDAY



BLOG = "Blessedly Leaning On God!"

GARAGE SALE BONANZA

Labor Day weekend.

Every year our little town has a community-wide garage sale extravaganza.  And on this weekend, cars and people go a little crazy!

Necks craned, lookie-loos converge, and the streets are not safe for driving! 

It's a bit like being in a demolition derby – as one has to be extremely alert not to hit or get hit while negotiating sudden stops, willy-nilly changes of direction, and abrupt u-turns – by us and other drivers!

Garage sales are best negotiated by a team of two – a driver and a navigator/lookout.

This is why "The Hub" and I are really good at this whole garage sale thing.  He drives, I look out for hazards – he decides where to go and when, I look out for bargains!

But before I tell you about our adventure, I've got to share a bit of trivia.

Do you say garage sale, yard sale, tag sale, or rummage sale?  

Practically speaking, there is no real difference.  

Some of it has to do with where you live.  (For instance, on the East Coast the phrase "tag sale" is more often used.  I've also noticed this regional difference when people interchangeably use the terms, drywall or sheetrock, lightning bug or firefly, submarine sandwich, hoagie, grinder, or poor boy!).   


OK, so, I have to begin my garage sale ruminations by telling you about our *only-once-and-probably-never-again* experience with our own garage sale.

We held one a few months before we put our previous home on the market.  

Deciding to rid ourselves of some of the mountainous amount of stuff I had accumulated in almost 29 years, trying to downsize before having to move it all, we decided to venture into the wild and woolly waters of a weekend garage sale.

I'm not sure I've ever worked harder in my life!


Here's some of what I learned:


The pre-organizing is tiresome and stressful.

Especially when one of you is a packrat, and the other loves to wean and winnow.  One person is saying, "When's the last time you used/wore that?" – and the other person is saying, "I can't give that away.  It has sentimental meaning."  (Bonus points if you can figure out who's who...)

So, the *deciding on what to sell* can be a tedious process.

Mr. Give-It-All-Away and Mrs. Keep-Everything-Forever worked very hard to come to an acceptable compromise – (which meant a lot less went on the "chopping block" than "The Hub" would have liked to see!).


OK, then there comes the staging time.

This is when you put prices on everything.  Some people use tags – which is fine.  But, they're more expensive and time-consuming than stickers.  We used stickers.  But honestly, then comes the challenge of deciding where to put the sticker so it doesn't ruin the item.

I worked hard to find stickers that wouldn't stick too much.  Because one of my biggest pet peeves is stickers that won't unstick, or the ones that leave a gummy residue, or discolor or tear the item in the process of removal.  GRR!


Deciding on prices is also difficult.  

You expect bargaining, so you want to set your initial price at a good starting point.

Too high?  Too low?  

Endless second thoughts.


Second, it's a good idea to make signs and place them in strategic locations.

Up here in our little town, the local paper publishes ads and a map to aid in searching for participating homes.  When we did it ourselves, we didn't place an ad.  But we did make signs.  I used neon-colored poster board, with VERY LARGE (and legible) letters to advertise our location and time.

Visible and eye-catching – that's the objective.

Because I don't know about you, but little signs with little lettering in lightly-written ink are extremely hard to read.  And, slowing down to figure out where the heck you're going – well, it can lead to those sudden stops, willy-nilly changes of direction, and abrupt u-turns that I mentioned before!


Finally, the day for the sale comes.  

Hold on to your hat!

The actual day of the garage sale is like one big sociology/psychology experiment.  You'll find that you will observe the most unlikely and surprising human behavior.

First, people will show up early.

This is one reason why I learned that it's a good idea, if you can, to lay out the stuff IN your garage before putting it out.  This prevents people bothering and pestering you before your preparations are complete.

Because, sure as the sun will rise, scavengers people will be out and about way before your posted time.  Like circling vultures, they'll pounce long before you're ready.  You can make some good sales at this time, but if you're not prepared, you'll just find yourself saying, "We're not open yet" – which is ridiculous when the "store" is your driveway!


Most people are pretty normal and really nice.  

Others defy the laws of explanation!

I vividly remember one guy who sped down our street, came to a screeching halt, and left his car running while he jumped out and ran around our driveway.  After a muttering five-second perusal, he ran to his car and peeled off to another destination.

Hmmm.

Another guy threw me (in my opinion) a very low-ball offer for a set of glass, brass, and mirrored display cases.  I had picked what I thought was a quite reasonable price for each, and he proposed the same price for all three!  I counter-offered, and he started to walk away.  (Yes, I know this can be a tactic).  I was feeling stubborn, and refusing to cave in, until "The Hub" gave me *The Look* – you know, the one that says, "When are you going to use these, I don't want to move them, he seems like a nice guy, some money is better than no money at all...").

Sigh...sold.

Then there was the couple who looked through a box of books.  In very good shape.  Which we had priced dirt cheap.  And then, complaining that our prices were too high, they offered a bargaining price that was laughable. Because I didn't like their rather haughty attitude, I chose not to bargain.  Then smugly watched as they drove off in their ironically expensive car.

Yes.

(I guess I'm not a good garage-salesperson at heart.  For though my objective should have been to get rid of stuff, I found myself personally insulted at peoples' attitudes.  Harumph!)


Which brings me to another point.

I wasn't prepared for being offended.

Some people were unreasonable, some were rude, some were downright dismissive.

I found myself experiencing old insecure feelings.

It brought back memories of not being chosen for a team, or not being invited to a birthday party, or left out of the popular circle of cheerleaders and song girls in high school.

You see, though I had determined that this stuff was stuff I was willing to part with, I wasn't prepared for people not liking my stuff!  

Ya know?!

So, my advice is to detach yourself from your stuff.  (Which is very difficult for me, which is why we STILL have a lot of stuff!)  For instance, don't expect someone else to appreciate the nostalgic value of your old VHS movies and cassettes…ahem.


One last thing that I learned is this – when the sale is over, almost anything and everything that you put out on the curb with a *FREE* sign will magically disappear overnight.  

POOF!


When all was said and done, we made over $400.  Which was great – except for the emotional roller coaster of that weekend!  Harassed, haggled, and harried.  That would sum it up for me!

I have discovered that it's much more fun to be a buyer than a seller!!

Which brings me back to our Labor Day weekend garage sale bonanza.

Yes, we were successful in our searching!

We found some old western frames and pillows, a cute western mirror, a wooden toilet paper holder shaped like an outhouse, some porcelain figurines for my animal collection, a book about ghost towns, an electric sander, a miniature tea set, and a slew of other little things.

What fun!  

But honestly, can I finish this post without bringing in some sort of spiritual application?

Of course not!

So, here's what I want to say...


Looking for stuff is fun, but we must never confuse stuff with treasure.  Earthly things can enhance our comfort and convenience.  They can help grace our homes with a personal touch.  But, we must never become overly attached to temporal things.

For our treasure does not lie in this world.

"Do not gather and heap up and store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust and worm consume and destroy, and where thieves break through and steal.  But gather and heap up and store for yourselves treasures in heaven...For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also." 
(Matthew 6:19-21, AMP)

"'Yes, a person is a fool to store up earthly wealth but not have a rich relationship with God.'" Luke 12:21, NLT)


Second, searching for things can be fun.  Purchasing things can be fun.  But these things are not the first things.

Only God must hold this place.

And we must seek Him before and above everything else.

"'…seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.'" (Matthew 6:33, ESV)

"'I am the Lord your God, who has brought you...out of the house of bondage.  You shall have no other gods before or besides Me.'" (Exodus 20:2-3, AMP)

"…if riches increase, set not your heart on them." (Psalm 62:10, AMP)


And finally, let us never forget that we are a redeemed people.

The enemy of our souls would gladly discard us as worthless rubbish and meaningless junk.  He would gleefully have us wear the filthy rags of guilt and shame.  He would enthusiastically celebrate a life lived in the wasted ravages of sin.

And yet, destined for the trash heap, we were instead purchased by our Savior!

Worth nothing in our own right, we were chosen by the Lord God Almighty Himself!

Somehow in the rubble and rabble aftermath of the Fall, He still saw people that He loved.  People that desperately needed salvation.  

And just like that *garage sale treasure* – He saw something worth saving.

Greatly cherished, He sought us and bought us.  And one day, He will bring us home to a place of honor.

Oh, what joy!

"God showed how much he loved us by sending his one and only Son into the world so that we might have eternal life through him.  This is real love – not that we loved God, but that he loved us…" (1 John 4:9-10, NLT)

"You are not your own, you were bought with a price [purchased with a preciousness and paid for, made His own]." (1 Corinthians 6:19-20, AMP)


So, our garage sale adventure is done.  And I can't wait to do it again next year.  

But, in the meantime, I'll leave you with this one last thought…

Oh, the lessons to be learned…if we only go looking for them!!

One man's trash
is another man's treasure...

...or in my case,
every man's trash
is this woman's treasure?!

Go on your own treasure hunt adventure – look for the *gold nuggets* in these Scriptures!



R  "O Lord, You have pleaded my soul's cause; You have REDEEMED my life." (Lamentations 3:58, NASB)

E  "EVERY good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father…who does not change like shifting shadows." (James 1:17, NIV)

D  "Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will DWELL in the house of the LORD for ever." (Psalm 23:6, KJV)

E  "'I have loved you, my people, with an EVERLASTING love.  With unfailing love I have drawn you to myself.'" (Jeremiah 31:3, NLT)

E  "'I am the Alpha and the Omega – the beginning and the END,' says the Lord God.  'I am the one who is, who always was, and who is still to come – the Almighty One.'"(Revelation 1:8, NLT)

M  "[He] said…'Well done, good and faithful servant…Enter into the joy of your MASTER.'" (Matthew 25:23, ESV)

E  "For God loved the world so much that he gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have ETERNAL life." (John 3:16, NLT)

D  "And when this perishable puts on the imperishable and this that was capable of dying puts on freedom from death, then shall be fulfilled the Scripture that says, 'DEATH is swallowed up (utterly vanquished forever) in and unto victory.  O death, where is your victory?  O death, where is your sting?'" (1 Corinthians 15:54-55, AMP)




Have you ever held a garage sale?  What did you learn in the process?



Linked with:

SHARING HIS BEAUTY, PLAYDATES WITH GOD, SMALL WONDER, MONDAY'S MUSINGS, MONDAYS AT SOUL SURVIVAL, LIFE GIVING LINKUP, GRATEFUL HEART MONDAY, REFLECT LINKUP, WORDS WITH WINTER, MOM 2 MOM MONDAY, THE ART OF HOMEMAKING MONDAYS, TELL ME A TRUE STORY, SOLI DEO GLORIA, TITUS 2 TUESDAY, UNITE, TESTIMONY TUESDAY, TUESDAY TALK, TELL IT TO ME TUESDAYS, RA RA LINKUP, WOMEN HELPING WOMEN, TELL HIS STORY, A LITTLE R & R WEDNESDAYS, WHOLEHEARTED WEDNESDAY, WISE WOMAN, COFFEE & CONVERSATION, THE (NOT JUST) HOMEMAKING PARTY, THREE WORD WEDNESDAY, COFFEE FOR YOUR HEART, WOMEN WITH INTENTION, WAITING ON WEDNESDAY, JOYHOPELIVE LINKUP, WORD FILLED WEDNESDAY, THOUGHT-PROVOKING THURSDAY, FROM HOUSE TO HOME, LITTLE THINGS THURSDAY, THURSDAY FAVORITE THINGS, LIVE FREE THURSDAY, SHINE, GRACE AT HOME, THOUGHTFUL THURSDAYS, LOOKING UP LINKUP, THEOCENTRIC THURSDAYS, FRIENDSHIP FRIDAY, EVERYDAY TESTIMONY, FELLOWSHIP FRIDAY, FAITH FILLED FRIDAY, SPIRITUAL SUNDAYS, COUNTING MY BLESSINGS, MAKE MY SATURDAY SWEET, FAITH & FELLOWSHIP, GRACE & TRUTH, TGI SATURDAYS, DANCE WITH JESUS, SATURDAY SOIREE, STILL SATURDAY, LIVING PROVERBS, WEEKEND WHISPERS, SUNDAY STILLNESS, GIVE ME GRACE



BLOG = "Blessedly Leaning On God!"