Garage Sale Treasures and Funeral Food

For the last week I've been helping get ready for our annual church garage sale. Today was the opening day of the sale and I found a treasure. I bought myself an antique Victrola. I don't usually have an interest in antiques, but this caught my eye. When looking throught the attic at the farm several months ago, we found old albums that belonged to my grandma. Some of my siblings recalled that my grandma used to have a Victrola, but it had long ago quit working and was disposed of. I had brought one album home from the farm, but had no way to play it. When I saw the Victrola at church, I drove home and got my album to try. It was so cool. Certainly not digital quality music, but there was something about the thought of my grandparents and my dad sitting and listening to this very music decades ago, that made me want the Victrola. It is now sitting in my living room. I'm sure the kids think I'm crazy amd Eric might too, but he knows better than to say it!

This annual church garage sale has landed me some other treasures as well and I didn't pay anything for them. It started a couple years ago. It was my first time ever dropping off clothes for the sale and there were boxes and bags stacked in numerous piles. At the time, there was only one lady working to unpack and organize it all. While my instinct was to drop my donation and run, something made me ask the woman working there if she'd like my help. She was quick to accept my offer. As I helped unpack, fold and organize clothes, I got to know a little about this lady, Sheila. She is fun loving and kind and married to a guy that is perfect for her. She was so sweet that I have gone back to help each year. It was during the preparation for the sale last year that my mom's health took a sharp decline. Sheila was there to listen and give me hugs. I don't know if I actually got any work done there last year, but Sheila never mentioned that. Instead she listened to me, cried with me and even sent a beautiful plant to my mom's funeral. I was so incredibly touched when I saw who it was from. I have even managed to keep the plant alive all this time.  She and I have shared stories of our families. There are so many similarities. Sheila has had more than her share of loss and yet hasn't become bitter.  Instead, she is caring and compassionate and gives freely of her time. In hearing her story, God's hand is so apparent in the wonderful things that have come her way, even though she has endured many trials along the way. I am certain that God put her in my path. I have learned a lot about faith from her. Sheila also introduced me to her friend, Sam, who you will hear more about shortly.

About one and a half years ago, I saw a sign at church asking people to volunteer to help at church funerals. Something told me that I should sign up, so I did. I received calls a few times and dropped off food. When I actually got called to work for a funeral, I met another incredible lady. LuAnn is in charge of the church kitchen, including organizing funeral luncheons. I knew who she was before, but had no idea what a giving and kind person she was. She is so appreciative of the people who help her and is truly one of the most organized and giving people I know. She is also very personable and sweet. When I signed up to help with funerals, I didn't realize that I was actually signing up to make a wonderful friend.

About this time last year, Mother was in horrible pain and things were looking very grim. I was emotionally exhausted and recalled seeing something in a recent church bulletin about urgent prayer requests and a prayer chain. I remembered that it had said to call LuAnn if you needed either of these things. I was a wreck and figured prayers couldn't hurt. I also knew that as hard as I was crying, there was no way I could even speak if I called LuAnn, so I sent her a note on facebook (she had friended me a while back). I had a message back from her in no time. She contacted others to pray for my mom (none of them had ever met my mom and yet they were praying for her). LuAnn checked in with me often to see how both my mom and I were doing. The funny thing is, if the person to contact for prayer requests had not been someone I knew I never would have contacted them. I'm not one to ask that of someone I don't know. I was comfortable asking her though. It occured to me that maybe that "something" that told me to sign up for helping at funerals was in fact God making sure that LuAnn was in my path.

On one occasion, I received a note from LuAnn that there was a there was a prayer shawl waiting at church for me to take to my mom. Some wonderful people at church knit these for people who are in need of prayers, whether they are ill, grieving, or carrying the weight of the world for whatever reason. The idea is that the person receiving the shawl wraps it around themself and when they pray, they will feel the love and prayers of the church. Little did I know when I picked up the prayer shawl  to take to my mom, that God was at work once again. The prayer shawl set aside for my mom was bright pink. I hadn't told LuAnn or anyone else that pink was my mom's favorite color. It made me smile to see the pink shawl. When I gave it to my mom, she said, "They made it for me? They don't even know me!" She was touched that my church sent it for her. This was during her final week so it was to difficult for her to sit up and drape the shawl around herself. Instead, we placed it across her on her bed. Several times, she held onto it with her hands. I think it helped me as much as it helped her to see that shawl and know that people in my church were praying for her. After my mom died, I brought the shawl home with me. When I was feeling especially down, I would wrap the shawl around myself and feel the love of my mom, my church and God. Many times, I fell asleep wrapped in the shawl. Last fall, at a bible study that I go to, some of us shared about "signs" one day. An acquaintance of mine, Sam (who I met through Sheila while working at the garage sale), commented that she must not be praying right, because she never saw any signs like some of us had. A few weeks later, I shared some things, including how the prayer shawl I'd received for my mom was pink, which was my mom's favorite color and how it made me feel like I was receiving a little hug from God when I saw it was pink. After the bible study, Sam stopped me and told me that she was sure she had made the shawl that my mom ended up with. When she was picking up yarn to make a shawl months earlier, she saw the bright pink yarn and thought it looked cheerful so she chose it. I told her that God obviously was sending us both a sign right there. Since that day, Sam and I have called each other sisters. She never had a sister and I had room for another. As if that sign wasn't enough, that same day at bible study, we all put our names in a hat and drew the name of another to pray for until our next class. I smiled when I saw that I had drawn Sam's name. Later, I found out that Sam had also picked my name. What were the chances? There were about 40 of us in the class and we drew each others names. Yet another sign and yet another person placed in my path by God.

These are just a few of the people I've met while volunteering at church. As I get to know each of them, I am reminded that we each cross paths for a reason. We may not know the reason right away. But down the road, sometimes the reason becomes apparent. When that happens, you can't help but be in awe of God's love for us. 
I never would have guessed what true treasures I would find at the church garage sale. While the Victrola is awesome, the friends I have met there are priceless. I also never realized before that God works through funeral food and facebook. I guess it's true that God works in mysterious ways.