Adam's Archives
Estate Sale!
22
Wed
August
Maybe you know it… I love a good garage sale. Searching for the random knickknack that I’ve desperately been in need of (or not so much). Finding something that I was going to buy brand new and finding it for a fraction of the price or even less… 50 cents. Garage sales… can be frustrating at times when the trail of signs that one follows block after block ends up being false advertising (“Huge Sale”, “Like new furniture”, etc). But for the most part…a great (and cheap) adventure and challenge of finding great deals and treasures (or “another man’s trash”).
However, there is one type of garage sale that always has me in deep thought mode, the Estate Sale. What’s the difference you may ask… well the person doing the selling is usually not the owner of the stuff. Why? Because the owner’s most likely passed away. “Dead” some would say… “passed on”. Nice person though.
Immediately I begin to think of so many things… well for example, I went to an Estate Sale this last week. It appeared (and sounded) as though the husband had passed away quite some time ago and the wife/lady passed away just recently. I began to think about the older folks I know… and not just older folks, but myself as well…how particular I am about where my stuff is and how it’s taken care of… especially my “important” and “valuable” things.
And now this lady’s stuff is being searched through by any random person that the sign brings in, including 25 year olds (yup, I’m sorry… your pastor’s only 25) like myself… I’ve never met this lady, I’ve never been given permission by her to go searching through her things… but now I’ve been given the ok to not only search through this lady’s stuff but I’m actually being encouraged to buy it for a little of nothing… Why? Because if it doesn’t sell it’s going to the trash or to the thift store. Wow… think of that.
Isn’t it wild how we’re constantly collecting, buying, and owning things (at least I am)… to make the house more cozy (or chic), another hobby that we’re into, another item to our collection of whatever, one more thing on our shelf, more and more of… mine.
So we collect more of mine… mine… mine… and then one day… once we actually begin to have quite a bit of mine… Estate Sale. the $1 table, “It’s marked at $5 but we’ll take 2.” Mine is no longer mine… but it’s his and hers… and his and her knows nothing about the “mine”… where and who it came from… what it meant… where I kept it... it’s now “theirs.”
I then begin to think of my box of things that are most important to me… things given to me from my parents as a child (toys that are now falling apart), something given to me from Becky (something to remember a date, anniversary, etc), or the notes that I’ve been given from loved ones… When I think about it, some of the most valuable things I have… are of no value whatsoever to anyone else… they don’t make the $1 table… they don’t even make the thift store… garbage, thrown away. At times there are family members that know some of these “valuable” things, but at this recent estate sale, I’m not sure there was. Beloved, treasured items and memories…gone. Forgotten. No longer.
I’ll be honest it makes me a bit sad thinking about it… Estate Sale…All mine becomes all theirs. Why do I continue to live each day as though it’s always going to be mine… Why do I live each day in pursuit of more mine… have I forgotten about the Estate Sale that is sure to come… without a doubt… it WILL come… no question. I’m unsure I’ll have the same friends, live in the same town, have the same job, etc next month or year… but one thing I am sure about is the Estate Sale… for me…Adam Weber... and my things, my treasures, my memories… mine.
Lord, reading this makes me sad… sad deep in my gut...what is this life about… why do I love mine so much…have I forgotten You… have I served other gods… However, the more and more I think about it… the less and less I think about being sad and the more and more I think about you… After the Estate Sale, You will be there…You will continue… You will still be God… I need you… I long for you Lord… I love you… You are enough… You make me whole… You fill me like no other…always and forever. I worship You Lord. Thank you for being enough. Help me to let go of the things that will be placed on my sale... ultimately they are not what makes me me... You are. Amen.
#2 On August 23, 2007, Troy Keyes wrote:
Great message. It really made me reflect on what I’ve been doing (collecting “Mine’s”). I personally know a lot of people who’s main focus is collecting “stuff” and I’m guilty of the same thing. But oh how true is what you said in the message…I commonly bring on stresss about trying to get that next big item, or nice thing, but in 100 years, it’s not going to matter one bit. Good work…I want to start collecting “Eternal Stuff” instead of “Earthly Stuff”.
Depressed from your story,(but motivated)
Troy
#3 On August 23, 2007, Adam wrote:
:) Love the comments! Sorry about putting the church into a deep depression.
Let me attempt to try and “answer” your questions.
#1 What’s the solution?
I would say the solution is coming to the point where you can truly pray the written prayer. It’s coming to the place where you really understand that “yes, there will be an Estate Sale for all of ‘mine’.”
If you asked anyone, they would agree that “yes, I will die someday”, but what’s wild is how we’re in complete denial of that fact… especially when we’re young..actually, we always are. When someone finds out they have terminal cancer, all of sudden everything completely changes… they wish they had more time, they change how they live each day… each moment, they find out what’s important, they look for something that will remain…that they can hold on to, there’s so many things they start doing differently… Why does it take that… Let me tell you now “you’re going to have something terminal… someday. You’re really going to die.”
Okay, this may sound even more depressing but it’s actually not.
The Estate Sale isn’t bad or sad at all when there’s nothing truly of value on it…Yeah, it’s all our things (note: things are not bad in themselves) but what’s of value… what we treasure the most…what makes us complete… is not on the sale…Nope, not on the $1 table or the $200 piece of overpriced furniture (always keep prices low folks) our “valuable”..our treasure is God.
#2 Do I give away the JFK collection or stop buying books?
I don’t know the answer to this question…Read Luke 18:18-23. Then ask “Where is my heart?”
#3 How do we stop the ‘mine’ obsession?
For myself, it’s understanding at my deepest, that the sale is coming… and not reacting and living out of negative motivation but rather… realizing that God is the only thing that will do… He’s the only thing that will remain… and ultimately He’s enough. The “Mine Obsession” is crazy…One will never ever reach enough. There’s something missing to the collection, there could always be more or something better… How wonderful to realize this now so that one can begin to have the fullest life possible… found in Christ. (here is the bright spot of this whole conversation)
#4 Where’s the point of balance?
I’m guessing most won’t like this answer… I don’t myself. For 99% of us we need to completely forget about balance in this area…I don’t say that often because balance is important in most areas. Why? Because we’re so out of balance that if we ever reach our “Godly desire” or “holy goal”... we’ll probably STILL be out of balance… Does that make sense? It’s not a matter of “I have 40, let me give away 20”... Why? Because the 20 may still hold your heart…the 20 may still actually be your God… and the truth of the matter is that with only 20, you’ll go crazy wishing you had the full 40 back… even more, you’ll probably long for 80. Does that make sense… If not, read Luke 18:18-23 again… God is focused on the depth of our heart…our heart’s TRUE desire. When God is everything (Lord help me to be here), then and only then are we balanced and focused on God. Another bright spot is coming: Then and only then are we whole and satisfied… full of joy, peace, love… Then… it’s enough…our identity is in Christ and him alone.
Wow… that was a long answer. More thoughts… I don’t hold all of the answers either… I’m not “there”. So let’s hear what you’re thinking.
#4 On August 29, 2007, Rob Baird wrote:
good thoughts adam. i couldn’t agree more. that’s why my life philosophy is to never have more stuff than i can fit in my truck when i move. less stuff for me to wrap my arms around and think “mine!!”
#1 On August 22, 2007, Hugh Weber wrote:
I’m going to have to go buy a puppy to perk me up after that.
Seriously though. Great message. What’s the solution? Do I give away the JFK collection or stop buying books? How do we stop the ‘mine’ obsession? Where’s the point of balance?