Emotion 1: Frustration
I mean, you go through your entire life accumulating all these "things" only to see people walking away with them at a fraction of what you paid. It's was very frustrating. Especially when people tried to "talk you down" on an already rock-bottom price! Really? Are you really wanting this almost new comforter set for $1? We're only asking $5 for it and it's still in the bag! And you want to pay less than $10 for my son's infant bed!? Come on... give me a break. This is our stuff you're talking about. Don't make me smack you, lady! Anyway, that was one emotion... and no, I didn't smack anyone.
Emotion 2: Relief
If you've been to our house over the last few months you would've thought you were on a episode of Hoarders: Buried Alive on A&E. There's been stuff boxed up everywhere! You literally would have to turn sideways to walk through some of the rooms in our house because of all the stuff stacked-up everywhere in anticipation of the yard sale. I'm kinda claustrophobic too. I hate feeling cramped and confined and that's been our life for what seems like an eternity. But now that our first yard sale is over we sold a bunch of stuff and we've reclaimed our house so you can actually navigate anywhere in the house without knocking stacks of junk over... what a relief!
Emotion 3: Pride
You mention pride and it's usually thought of in a negative sense. But the pride I felt during and after our yard sale was a positive thing. Let me explain:
For me and MJ to get rid of our stuff at a yard sale, so we can move to the mission field, is one thing. But for our kids to do the same thing (willingly without being asked) is another. Being in the ministry can be tough on a family. We've met people over the years whose kids have rebelled and even walked away from God because of what they've seen their parents go through in the ministry. It's a delicate balance trying to be real with your kids and also trying to shield your kids from all the "junk" we go through as ministers. Kids can become calloused and sometimes they don't really "buy-in" to what their parents are doing or what they've been called to do. It hasn't been that way with our kids at all. From the oldest to the youngest they've all been very supportive and even excited about what we believe God has called us to. And it really showed this past weekend during the yard sale. As MJ and I were putting out our stuff to sell I looked around and my kids were putting their stuff out too! Stuff that we didn't ask them to sell either... like marble collections, toys, clothes... it was like nothing was sacred. When I think about it, it makes me sad and proud all at the same time. Sad because of the sacrifice they're making and proud because, well, of the sacrifice they're making. One of my biggest prayers is that all of my kids will follow Jesus. I can control most of the things in their lives but that's the one thing that only they can determine. And to see them willingly giving up "things" is an amazing thing to watch as a dad. We always talk to our kids about how "our stuff" doesn't define us and what we own doesn't add value to the "real us." We also talk to our kids about how everything will end up in a junk yard or a landfill one day. Nothing will last forever and we shouldn't have anything in our lives that we wouldn't be willing to give-up if God asked us or if someone else was in need. How we view material things (and money) is an indication of where our heart (the real us) is and what we value the most. Just look at Matthew 6:21.
So today as I think back over the weekend and as I look around at our house, that is becoming emptier and emptier, I'm glad that the Dunn's have decided to follow what God has asked us to do "as a family"... no matter how emotional it may be. We love you guys. Keep praying for us.
Glad to not have to walk through my house sideways,
Jim
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