Loaves and Fishes and 3 Staples Boxes

1200 square feet, 6 people, 3 dogs, 1 homeschool, 1 dad who works from home...the house gets a little crowded sometimes.  I have been purging.  First the yard sale at church to raise money for the adoption ministry, second the yard sale at a friends to raise money for Amazima ministry.  Finally, I thought I was done.

Since Leah, her daughter, Katie (my daughter) and I are traveling soon to help with a fund raiser for Amazima ministry, we thought it would be nice if we could bring a gift.  The first fund-raising yard sale was a success, so I wanted to do it again.  I cleaned out what was left of my house and could only come up with 2 boxes of "stuff."  We have really gotten down to only owning stuff we are using now, nothing extra (or very little extra) and even that still fills this little house quickly.  I rummaged through the pantry, the cupboards, and closets and found enough to fill a third box.  I told Leah, "I don't really think I have enough stuff for another yard sale, but I will see if any of my friends have anything to donate."  I put the message out on Facebook.

I cleared a corner of my living room since our garage has the car, the drum set, and the bikes...too full for yard sale stuff...and put my 3 boxes there.  A few days before the scheduled sale, 3 people with pick-up trucks full of stuff came and dropped their stuff off.  (My living room was getting a little full.  We could no longer walk freely through it!)  I packed things in as tightly as I could.  THEN!  I got a call from my oldest son who was on a walk.  He had found a "free" dresser that was in good condition.  It had a broken drawer, but otherwise, it was nice.  Kevin and David fixed the drawer and we added that to the living room pile.  We had another call, and the stuff now had to be piled on the front porch.

My friend asked if I had put an ad in the paper, and I said no because I was worried about wasting the money since I didn't know how much we would earn.  I was really worried the morning of the yard sale that I had made a big mistake by not putting in the ad.  I had put it on Craigslist, but not the paper.  My fears were relieved when at 6:30 am we had a line of people waiting. 

The stuff was selling even as I was unpacking it.  It sold before I had even seen it or knew what it was.  We raised about 600 dollars!  The free dresser sold for $25! 

I was contemplating how sometimes we work so hard, pinch every penny and it still doesn't seem like enough.  I was reading in Haggai and came across this verse:  You expected much, but see, it turned out to be little.  What you brought home, I blew away.  Why?" declares the Lord Almighty.  "Because of my house, which remains a ruin, while each of you is busy with his own house."  (Vs. 1:9)  I see that as we focus on ourselves, we only earn what we "control" - which is nothing.  Sometimes we might have a blessing, but really, without focusing on the eternal it is garbage.  I have had yard sales before that made very little money.

I had 3 boxes (small.  Staples boxes.)  We made $600!  I have to think, God was in this.  This was for His kingdom.  This was for His house!  It reminded so much of the "Loaves and Fishes" story in John. Another of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter's brother, spoke up, "Here is a boy with five small barley loaves and two small fish, but how far will they go among so many?" Jesus said, "Have the people sit down." There was plenty of grass in that place, and the men sat down, about five thousand of them. Jesus then took the loaves, gave thanks, and distributed to those who were seated as much as they wanted. He did the same with the fish. When they had all had enough to eat, he said to his disciples, "Gather the pieces that are left over. Let nothing be wasted." So they gathered them and filled twelve baskets with the pieces of the five barley loaves left over by those who had eaten. (Vs 6:8-13)



When the yard sale was over, I still had some things to sell on Craigslist and enough to fill the back of my 15 passenger van to give as a donation to a homeless shelter in town.  God used those 3 boxes, multiplied them through the generosity of others and allowed us to have a substantial gift for the ministry and have a van full of blessings left over!  Our God is sooo good.




God, You choose to bless us even though we don't deserve it.  You allow us to work for the good of those You love!  Thank you for the privilege of seeing Your miracles in action.  Help me obey You as a slave.  Let me "Offer myself to you  as a slave , I who am a slave to the one whom I obey - a slave to obedience, which leads to righteousness." (Romans 6:16)  Amen.