Welcome, dear reader, to a quick reflection on “garage sale season” and the unexpected ways it can help us love, serve, and honor one another.
Oddly, garage sales are one of the only times in modern society when people will just “show up” at your home. Depending on your set-up, they are not just in front of your house but likely in your driveway, garage, or even inside. It is a socially intimate stretch for the garage sale-er and the garage sale-ee to exist together within the physical, emotional, and psychological space normally reserved for family and friends.
Having done only a few garage sales myself, I am always surprised by the number of people who come not only to shop, but to talk. Making their way around, they don’t just ask about prices. They also sometimes ask about the purpose and history of items or offer what memories they brought up for them. Specifically, I want to share about two people I’ve met over the years. We’ll call them Mike and Carol.
Mike, a thin gentleman in his 60’s, inquired about a yellow bike. He shared that he had recently lost over eighty pounds following gastric bypass surgery and hoped to continue his health journey. Then, pausing briefly and tearing up, he also mentioned it looked like his Dad’s bike, and he missed him very much. It was so neat to hear his story, congratulate him, and offer comfort for his Dad’s memory. He walked that bike to his car with a smile.
Carol, a grandma, was definitely not the typical grandma’s age. She looked, patiently searching for toys and books for her seven grandchildren. Of the seven, she shared that only one was biologically related. Even so, she had recently taken all of them in to help support her now-sober, degree-seeking daughter-in-law after a tough start in life. She was clearly proud of them and there was no suggestion of a burden. I was touched by her generosity and helping her love them with “stuff” we didn’t need anymore.
In addition to the exchanges from that day, I’ve also enjoyed some items and stories from garage sales. Things like baby items for my son after learning I was pregnant. Fifty-cent toys for nieces and nephews who then heard about “who used to use that toy.” And, the “big kid bike” conversation because the seller’s kid was now past the stage mine was entering. In short, all of it was more than a transfer of goods. It was the honoring of one another’s journeys.
So, as the days grow warm and neighborhood garage sale days arrive, let us not go out “just because.” Instead, may we enter those driveways and welcome people to ours with intention. Whatever items we are done with not only leaves us with “stuff” to offer but also stories—and maybe even some wisdom and love to pass along.
It is in this exchange of connection, not simply things, where the hidden ministry in garage sales is found. May we keep our eyes open for the deals—and the opportunities.
Photo by Charisse Kenion, used with permission
Originally posted March 24, 2022. Updated for freshness & clarity.
Anne Rulo 