Yard Sale and Inspiration

Today we had a yard sale.  For anyone who has ever had a yard sale, you know how much work this truly is. It is A LOT of work!  We didn't even price anything and we were still hot, sweaty, and overworked by 7am! LOL
Last weekend, we got ourselves way in over our heads when we decided it would be a good idea to clean out our attic.  The attic was FULL of stuff!  There were countless storage bins, tons of cardboard boxes, and lots and lots of trash bags full of...stuff!
When we started the project, we were totally motivated and excited about the end result.  After two hours of carrying stuff down in an effort to empty the attic completely, we realized how much work was actually in store for us.  Poor David had to carry everything down (and later, back up) all by himself, while I waited  at the bottom to pilfer through the past 5 years of our lives.
I am totally cool with climbing up the ladder, in fact, I love the attic space.  There is charming exposed brick, a great pitched roof and lots of floor space. However, I am deathly afraid of coming back down the ladder!  It reminds me of when I was younger and I went up into a tree house at a birthday party and I spent three hours crying about how to come down...I was 12. Don't judge.
When the attic was finally empty (4 LONG hours later!), we had literally filled 2 1/2 rooms of our home with the unused items that called our attic home.
It was then that we took a break.  We looked around the room with complete surprise and disgust!  We felt like hoarders!  Even worse, 7 tubs were crafts and drawings and notes from our three children.  Again, don't judge.  ;)  I love my kids and everything they make, er touch, is a keepsake.  After bringing to light my obsession with saving EVERYTHING they have ANYTHING to do with, I am determined to make wiser decisions about what to save and what not to save. :)
We pushed forward and somehow, by Sunday night (the FOLLOWING night), we had repacked the attic with ONLY 6 tubs (only two are keepsake, one for pictures, a couple are holiday tubs and one for hand me down clothes from Andrew to Eli).  Impressive, right?!  We were so proud of ourselves...we still are! ;)
Initially we had planned to donate EVERYTHING!  We were determined to reclaim our home and get rid of the junk, but after closer examination and the realization that we still had TWO rooms of stuff to get rid of, we decided to have a yard sale and we set the date for one week away.
I realize now that this meant spending TWO weekends on our junk, but it seemed like a good idea until my alarm went off at 6am this morning. UGH!
We woke up completely unprepared.  We hadn't organized or priced ANYTHING!  The only thing we had done in fact, was place a free ad in the newspaper and on Craigslist, letting every one know that our junk was officially for sale from 7am-12pm.
We got up at 6am and started to prepare for our five hour commitment.  There was no turning back.  We had signs posted on Markham already...you can't flake after you post the signs! ;)  At 6am, while we were carrying everything from the sun room to the front yard (in the dark), people started driving by very slowly...eeeeek!  Those faithful yard sale seekers...they don't play.  They were ready to shop and we were NOT ready to sell.  :/  They didn't pity us either.
If you know me at all, you know that I am totally TYPE A.  I had lined up shoes, clothes, books, etc., just the way I wanted them and these people didn't care AT ALL!  In fact, one man said, " WOW!  That's the most organized sell I've ever been to.  What a waste of time." Needless to say, the organization didn't last long and I was soon following patrons around straightening up after them, much like I do with my children. LOL
Anyhow...we had no idea that the majority of our shoppers were going to be those very shoppers who bombarded us while we were still trying to put things out.  These people didn't even stick around long enough to see everything...they were in a hurry to get to the rest of the sales, I guess.
We made most of our money that first hour.  After that, there was a lot of waiting around.  At about 10, I was ready to be done and call it a day, but David convinced me to wait until 11.  I'm glad we did because some sweet ladies came and took A LOT of stuff!  She had grand babies and bought lots of kids clothes and what she didn't buy, I gave to her. ;)  She was so precious and so grateful and it made my heart smile. :)
At 11, we packed up my Land Rover (which surprisingly, holds A LOT) and donated everything that was left.
It was freeing and SO nice to be rid of everything.  As David drove off with my LR4 packed to the roof with memories, I couldn't help but feel lighter, but sad at the same time.
It's hard sometimes to let go, huh?  As he drove away, I thought about all of the junk that we had held on to for so long and how good it felt to let it go.  It made me think of my relationship with Christ and how so often, too often, I allow my heart and mind to be filled with JUNK.  As we fill our hearts and minds with sin, we leave less and less room for the Lord.
It breaks my heart to think of the sins I have committed in my life, but brings me such joy to know that my Savior, who died for my sins, will forgive me time and time again. He accepts me, JUNK and all.  How freeing to know that just like I reclaimed my home and emptied the junk, I can come before him and allow him to reclaim me and empty me of my junk.
What a wonderful promise to know that He will accept you completely.  He knows our every sin, but He still loves us.  He died for us, knowing we would break his heart over and over again.
Tonight I want to be reclaimed. I want his blood to wash me clean and rid me of my junk.
As I was writing that last sentence, I grabbed my phone to look up a verse to share and how appropriate that my "daily verse" (on my Bible app) is this:
Deuteronomy 7:9
"Know therefore that the Lord your God is God; he is the faithful God, keeping his covenant of love to a thousand generations of those who love him and keep his commandments."



Goodnight and God Bless.