Say What?? (Part 3)

"I'll tell you what...$1.50 for the rug and the book, and I'll throw in the rat for a quarter."

Aren't yard sales fun?


Now, I know plenty of people who can not stomach yard sales. Other people's old, used, and often dirty junk makes them nauseous.

I get that. I really do. There are some yard sales, and some stuff at certain yard sales, that could easily provoke the gag reflex. But if you steer clear of certain articles of clothing (yes, people really do sell underwear at yard sales) and things that can't we washed, bleached or otherwise disinfected, there are treasures to be had.

Like this:


I bought this mirror for $5 and I love it. I think it will be really cute painted white and hanging in my.......my, um.......oh, that's right. I don't know where to hang it. That's why it's still in my garage after 2 years. But I still think it has so much potential. And as soon as I find a spot for it, it will complete its journey from trash to treasure, unwanted to wanted, useless to useful.

I just love a story of redemption, don't you?

And the yard sale that took place in our very own yard last weekend has a bit of redemption worked in too.

The Women's Ministry at our church decided a few months ago to have a yard sale fundraiser for our Relay for Life team. As the time got closer, they saw that we were getting closer to completing Israel's adoption, and they felt moved to share the proceeds of the yard sale with us.

This is not the first time our little church has rallied around us and raised money to help pay for adoption costs. There are less than 200 people at our church, but between formal fundraisers and individual gifts, they've given close to $4,000 to help bring Israel home.

Ransom money.

A few months into the adoption process, I was standing in church, singing a song about how Christ paid our debt when He died on the cross, and I had a moment of revelation. You know that moment when the meaning in a song or a Bible verse that you've heard or said a hundred time suddenly becomes more clear?

I belonged to sin and death. They owned me. I did not have the means or the ability to change that. But Christ bought me. He paid with His own blood and He purchased me so that I could be His child.

"For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your forefathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect. "
1 Peter 1:18-19

Ransom paid.

Redemption complete.

But wait, there's more...

See, the Bible says that when Christ redeems us, we are adopted as children of God. And as the truth of the words of that worship song washed over me, I was thinking about Israel.

We were adopting him as our child, but there was a ransom to be paid--a ransom in the form of attorney fees, agency fees, travel expenses, and document fees. And we did not have the means or ability to pay his ransom. But God did. He moved the hearts of His people, over and over again, to step in and pay the ransom for us and for Israel.

I just love a story of redemption, don't you?