Lifestyle Support for Healthier Living

The Yard Sale!

This is a great time of year to simplify, clean out, and to get rid of some of those things that collect over a lifetime, yet that perhaps we haven't looked at in years. Such was the case in our neighborhood Saturday as some families hosted yard sales. It's a lot of fun to see so many people come and peruse through other people's "stuff" to find for them what are treasures. Those who stopped by enjoyed good deals, friendly times, and then before we knew it the crowds pretty much cleared out most everything and the day was spent.

One of my neighbors creates beautifully framed inspirational quotes, complete with her own artistic hand paintings that adorn each frame. She has a gift to make each quote stand out and be noticed. I have one of her creations on my desk that says, "Be Still and Know That I AM God." It is placed before me on my desk along with pictures of my family. These are great reminders of what is important.

One of my neighbor's pieces did not sell and I picked it up to see why. Some chips of paint were missing from the white frame and the paper upon which the quote had been printed undulated and waved rather than lay perfectly flat. She offered it to me as a gift and said that the paper on which she had printed the message had become wavy. This imperfect piece was passed over as the crowds went through and swiftly purchased all her "perfect" pieces."

As I walked home carrying my new treasure I read what was written, which you can read above. I was touched, because just last week I had a dream that I was very flush with cash but it was taken from me at gun point by a robber. When I awoke from my dream I felt it was very important that my life focus upon true treasures -- my family and upon lifting others and not upon becoming flush with cash. As I read this scripture I felt that I was meant to receive this gift as a constant reminder of what is most important, and how "stuff" doesn't matter.

As I looked at the gift quite suddenly I saw a shadow and type before me. The paper that did not lay flat, but that rolled or undulated, is a stark reminder that the "stuff" we collect in this lifetime will fade to dust... Our houses, farms, clothing, works of art, bodies, cars, and so forth will all end up ultimately as dust. The best we can hope for is that we have spent a lifetime laying up treasures in heaven where no moth or rust can corrupt.

I shared the story of the piece of art with my missionary son. Similar to the Master, who owned only a robe and a pair of sandals, missionaries also go about doing much good, yet remain unencumbered by "stuff" that distracts them from that which is of greatest worth. He who had the least of all of us managed to do the most. What is the lesson here? He has promised that we will receive his light just as fast as we are able and willing to receive it. Our progress is only limited by our distractions. Simplicity then enables us to walk back into his presence while we yet live.

Every heartbeat we enjoy and every breath we take is a gift from He who is the light and the life of this world. This gift is given that we can come into his presence during our lifetimes and be made heirs to the Father. Colleen and I hope to enjoy our own yard sale real soon and hope you do too. We want to simplify and eliminate all that serves only distract us from life's greatest purposes. Great spiritual and physical health require that we let go of that which distracts us from that which is of greatest worth to us. We encourage you to enjoy the happiness that is enabled by laying up continually treasures in heaven...

Tags: dust, heaven, moth, treasure

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Permalink Reply by Laura Pettersson on May 2, 2012 at 11:19am

If you want to "lay up treasures in heaven" versus being "flush with cash", instead of having a "yard sale", give your '"stuff"' away to the needy or DI thereby fulling the Law of the Gospel (Pure Religion) as defined in James 1:27, Alma 1:27. Mosiah 4:26, Luke 18:22 and a host of others. Just a thought......

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Permalink Reply by Glenda on May 2, 2012 at 3:27pm

Great article! My take on "yard sale" is that it can be an actual sale of items from our home that we aren't using, or it can be a way of saying to get rid of things that are cluttering our spiritual and emotional selves. Great analogy with the unwanted framed inspirational quote! Thank you for sharing this message. I am constantly having to "yard sale" lots of things that clutter up my life. I'm learning to say no in the first place :).

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Permalink Reply by James Simmons on May 2, 2012 at 5:26pm

I agree that giving things away to those who need them is a commandment, and that we ought to be doing it to the extent we are able, so long as the left hand does not know what the right hand is doing. One of the things I loved about the yard sale this last weekend was there was a purpose to help a sister go to a family reunion in the Islands where she was from. That purpose was served well, many, many people acquired very nice things for as cheaply as they could have at DI, even less. The spirit of the event was delightful. Flush with cash, only one purpose I know of for that one, as taught by Jacob and Christ and it isn't to lay up in store treasures on earth:)

Laura Pettersson said:

If you want to "lay up treasures in heaven" versus being "flush with cash", instead of having a "yard sale", give your '"stuff"' away to the needy or DI thereby fulling the Law of the Gospel (Pure Religion) as defined in James 1:27, Alma 1:27. Mosiah 4:26, Luke 18:22 and a host of others. Just a thought......

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Permalink Reply by James Simmons on May 2, 2012 at 5:45pm

Isaiah warns latter-day Israel of increasing materialism that results in the "robbing" of the Lord's people, which are defined in holy writ as the poor and the needy, the widow and the orphan, and so forth. He teaches that as our "stuff" or materialism increases we become deaf and blind to the needs of the Lord's people, which thing leads to the destruction of those in Israel who do not repent before the Lord's great day when the division spoken of by Christ, Isaaih, Nephi, and other prophets occurs.

He speaks of our homes, of no end to our chariots (means of transportation) and he calls us robbers if we have more than we truly need. It is interesting how need was defined in Ancient Israel. They received manna for forty years to help them accustom themselves to making do with what they need and to never take more than that. If they relied upon the arm of flesh and took more than what was needed, it spoiled.

Then when ancient Israel crossed the river Jordan, they were given an inheritance where they could grow all the food they needed annually and were commanded to give an annual "free-will" offering of "all" that exceeded their need for the given year they were in, similar to not taking more "manna" than needed for the "day." There were no such things as retirement plans, except for one, keep your covenants with God and he will keep his with you forever and ever.

All annual excess was given to the storehouse and was used to prepare inheritances for newly weds, to feed the poor and the needy and to even clothe and feed strangers that would come in the gates of the city. In return the Lord promised three things to ancient Israel: all temporal needs would be met by him, a dominion (righteous posterity) would flow unto them forever and ever, and third, they would receive protection and deliverance from their enemies forever and ever.

Isaiah teaches that if modern Israel will keep the spirit of these covenants, which requires that we trust the Lord for our temporal needs, rather than the store up unto ourselves more than we need or are commanded to do, then all the obedient today will be counted among repentant Israel and will always receive food and clothing as needed and will be protected and delivered from enemies, and will have a posterity that grows up around them in righteousness.

Some things never change, and this is certainly one of them!

Glenda said:

Great article! My take on "yard sale" is that it can be an actual sale of items from our home that we aren't using, or it can be a way of saying to get rid of things that are cluttering our spiritual and emotional selves. Great analogy with the unwanted framed inspirational quote! Thank you for sharing this message. I am constantly having to "yard sale" lots of things that clutter up my life. I'm learning to say no in the first place :).