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Yard Sale for Diabetes Walk

I am not usually the type to have a yard sale. I like to go to them. Just ask the hubbs. I can be scary when we drive by a yard sale and there is some half-decent stuff sitting out in the yard. It's helpful that I usually only carry around plastic cash which limits my yard sailing ability.

But we had a bunch of stuff and thought we could have a yard sale and put the money toward our Diabetes walk coming up next Sunday. So we took a chance. I was meticulous. I priced everything so there would be no question. I made yard signs and flyers and put them up around the neighborhood. I even took an ad out in the paper. All of these things done to increase our flow of traffic and allow us to raise the most amount possible for the diabetes walk.

And then it rained. Right after we had moved all the tables loaded down with stuff out onto the driveway.

So back into the garage it was, and I was bummed. However, the day was a success for two reasons.

1. We raised $150 for our diabetes walk!!! Our Barnes Family team goal was $500 and we have surpassed that by $50. Matthew said, "Mommy so we give this money to the scientists and they go out and find a cure"? That's right, son.

2. I don't know that I've ever seen God show up at a yard sale (well, if He did I was unaware or just not looking for Him). However, God showed up today in our garage at our thrown together, rained-on yard sale.

A sweet lady came by and looked and looked for a long time. She was quiet and contemplative. The whole while she looked there was another lady who was there waiting on her husband to come get a large piece of furniture she was purchasing from us. She just talked and talked about diabetes. She was very friendly and I enjoyed chatting with her.

But back to the quiet lady. So, after the other lady had left, the quiet lady motioned for me to come over. She held a few things in her hands and I noticed they were some of my old clothes that I either could not wear or did not want anymore. She asked me if there was anyway that I could hold them for her until she could come back with some money. We began to talk and it turns out, she is very ill and not able to work and doesn't really have any money. She also doesn't have any clothes because she has lost a lot of weight due to being sick.

It was with the joy that only comes from knowing Jesus that I asked her to please take the clothes. She tried to argue with me saying she would come back with some money if I would just hold them a few days. I told her there was a time when my family literally only had the clothes on our back and that people had given to us. Now it was my turn to give back. We talked some more and I told her I would be praying for her. She seemed happy and relieved and I was overwhelmed.

To think that God chose to show up at a yard sale in a little 'ol town in Alabama on a dreary rainy day to bless the lives of two people. I am beyond humbled.

Tomorrow my family will be attending a new church in town for the first time after leaving 3 1/2 years of pouring heart and soul into the ministries at another church. This church we will be going to has a heart for lost people. This church has a heart to reach out to those that society and traditional church has left behind. This church has overwhelmed my husband and I with the fact that they "get it" and we feel God's hand and presence all over this place, its people, and the ministries. So we are going to check it out tomorrow.


And I"m pretty sure that moment of real and unbiased and untouched life in my garage today is just getting me ready for the next leg of my journey with Jesus.

Comments

Anonymous said…
Great post. I love it when God shows up wherever your at and reveals himself. I hope you enjoyed your visit to the new church.