”This car stops for garage sales!” This sticker is proudly displayed by that band of followers who, regardless of their planned destination, can be delayed, detoured, or rerouted at first glimpse of a sign displaying the infamous words “Garage Sale.”
It doesn’t matter whether they are heading home from church or on their way to “wherever”; like warriors who are always ready for battle at the sight of the enemy, and like firemen bracing themselves for the next alarm, these shoppers are always ready to pull over after spotting “the sign.” They simply cannot pass it by!
As the garage sale shoppers roam through the neighborhoods following the directional signs leading to their target, their anxiety increases. They watch for telltale signs of valuable sale items such as large homes and well-manicured lawns. Like gold miners, they pull up to the house and dash towards the door.
Inside they see things of all sizes and shapes. There are big things, small things, things of great value, and older things which tell fascinating stories about their owner’s life. Some items have been well cared for; others are slightly worn; others suffer from much neglect.
As the shoppers walk through the house, they notice family pictures on the wall which describe the size of the family. They speak of times they spent together at family gatherings or vacations. As the crowd combs through the belongings, it soon becomes clear each item shares one thing in common: they were all left behind by their owner.
You Can’t Take It with You
Regardless of one’s station in life, all the material artifacts will be left behind. Neither their cost nor their value matters. No matter how special we thought those items to be, our children or grandchildren will likely place them in a garage sale — probably for only a fraction of the cost!
Garage sales speak to us about life and remind us no matter how grand or glorious our possessions, they will all be left behind. As they pass into the hands of new owners, they will lose the significance they held for us.
King Solomon would say, “To rely on our material possessions to remind others of our life is . . . vanity of vanities.” (Ecclesiastes 1:2)
There are things in our lives that will live on long after we are gone. They are called memories. They are the most precious items we can leave behind, for memories don’t always require a large financial contribution. They do not require one’s income to be in the six-figure range. They are often created by giving brief moments of our time. Remarkably, they will outlive us. The question we should be asking ourselves is, “What will we leave behind?” It is answered by the personal investment we make in moments that create memories with our family and friends.
By Dr. L.W. Edwards
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