Hundreds of

yard and garage sales are popping up across our pathways. I worry more

than a little about such things. It seems to me that yard sales are tributes

to trash and junk (yes, I know what is to one man trash, to another treasure).

But really! We want to get rid of evidence that convicts us of stupidity.

Why did we buy "it" in the first place?

Don't know

who said it, but someone said, "We buy things we don't need with

money we don't have to impress people we don't like." Go figure!

Just tonight I went into our bedroom and sat in a rocking chair used mostly

as a clothes catcher. We really don't need two chairs in our bedroom especially

for our penchant to use the bed for a chair. In fact, we have more than

30 chairs of some sort in our modest home. Presently, there are only four

of us (including the exchange student from Belarus). That does not count

the 10 or so lawn chairs.

But what about

dishes. Three sets of China, one from my mother, one from my wife's mother

and the best one from a neighbor's garage sale. We've got enough plates

for a White House dinner. Utensils? How about an everyday set which is

used 360 days of the year, a silver plate set used four days of the year,

and a sterling silver set used one day a year. Forgive the hyperbole.

But it's just about the truth.

Stuff! And

more stuff! Mountains of stuff! Does life consist of more than just stuff?

Getting stuff. Having stuff. Getting rid of stuff. Just walk through your

home or house, whichever you live in, and see all the trinkets, collectibles,

heirlooms, antiques, glasses, lamps, pictures, and all that sort of stuff.

What will happen to all of it?

I like what

one of my dear members does. She calls her practice "re-cycling."

Rather than her children parceling out all her precious things after the

"service," she's giving beautiful and precious gifts to her

loved ones while she living. As a result, she's benefiting from the promise

of our Lord Jesus: "It is more blessed to give than to receive."

What about

conducting a variance on yard sales and call them "yard give-a-ways."

You simply put all the stuff on tables and say, "Take what you want.

It's yours if you want it." What you think? I can hear some say,

"What give my good stuff away for nothing!" Well, at yard sale

prices, it's almost a give-away.

I suppose yard

sales are a testimony, also, to the truth that things don't make us happy.

Did, in fact, things make us happy, we would not offer them at bargain

prices. We thought the "bread machine" would make us happy,

reminding us of the time grandmother made fresh bread But what we found

out was that grandmother making the bread was the wonderful memory, not

just the bread.

We thought

the nifty mini-fryer would make our life neater and more exciting. It

possibly could if George Forman were there using it in our kitchen.

Now, things

are not evil. Wanting things does not make us bad. But, there's a priority

which must be observed: "Seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness

and all these things shall be added to you" (Matthew 6:33). When

God is first in our lives, we can enjoy things, have fun with things,

but not be run nor ruled by the things.

we're having a garage sale at our house this Saturday from 9 a.m. until

all the junk is gone! Ya'll come.

Rev. Dr. John Hatcher is pastor

of River's Edge

Community Church in Fayetteville.

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