Monday, September 21, 2009

Love it!

So, this morning we had our free garage sale at church...and it was a HUGE success. We didn't advertise, but our church is located in more of a low-income neighborhood with the bus-stop right in front of our building. At first we were worried that no one would stop, but then we started having a decent amount of people who came through.

There were lots of cool stories. One of the women that I talked to had lost her job due to the company she worked for shutting down (with some bad dealings). She and her young son are now homeless and she is trying to find work. When she got to the shelter where she is staying at, they found one outfit for her son, but nothing for her. We were able to find a bunch of things in her size, a few things for her son, and I had the opportunity to pray with her. Her son loved playing at the church, and she talked about coming back.

Another woman was riding the bus and when she saw the sign saying, "Free Sale", she dinged to get off (even though it wasn't her actual stop). She was super nice too and was so appreciative.

One woman needed clothes for her son who was starting a new job. She ended up getting him 5 pairs of work pants and some dress shirts.

Another man filled up some bags and then chatted with me about wanting to bring his kids up in a church, the way that he had been. I showed him around our kids area and the regular area. As he was leaving, we said, "Maybe we'll see you around." He responded adamently, "Oh I am definitely coming back!"

Honestly, it was eye-opening, exciting, and a lot of fun to be able to give to people in such a tangible manner. Meeting needs right then and there. For me, I was just so happy to be able to part of something bigger than myself. It's hard for me to find ways to serve my community with two kids in tow. With doing it at the church, the kids were able to play, and we had enough other people to keep an eye on the kids as we rotated in and out, helping others.

Thank you Jesus!

3 comments:

The Rock Star said...

That is a really great idea!! :)

It sounds like you had a similar to feel to what I had when I changed oil for folks last year with Northview. Something so simple can mean so much. :)

Christy said...

Awesome!!!!

mjvan said...

Sounds like fun! I have joined the blogging world again! So excited to have the internet back! :)