I made a few great finds at a garage sale last weekend. I don't like to accumulate junk (especially since we decided to go to Africa) but I couldn't pass these two things up. I bought a round drop-leaf table that has some really cute details for $15 and a rocking chair for $10. Not bad, eh? Well, I have to admit that they both need quite a bit of work, but I just love to give old objects a new life so I think I'll have a lot of fun with these projects.
We have had a very interesting furniture situation at our house this year. We thought we were going to be on the mission field and so when we moved in with my in-laws to do fund raising, we sold all of our furniture. We wanted to have local furniture in Africa rather than ship American furniture so that the Tanzanians would feel more comfortable in our home. Great concept, except we didn't go to Tanzania as soon as we thought and so when we moved to Abilene, we found ourselves in an empty apartment. Well, not completely empty. We had a bed and a TV cart with our electronic equipment on it. So the bed became a couch and a table too. Wow, talk about multi-functional furniture! After we'd been here for a month and a half or so, we finally met someone with a truck (even if we bought used furniture we had no way to get it home before that)! So we got a couch and a coffee table too and that made dinner time much easier. We're slowly adding to our collection as cheaply as possible since we'll be selling almost everything again in a few years when we actually do end up going to Tanzania (Lord willing)!
One thing we've really realized is how little you really do need to get by. How much extra stuff we surround ourselves with. And sometimes I feel like the rich man in the parable that Jesus tells who torn down his barns to build a bigger one. The more stuff we get, the bigger house we need to hold it in and the more organizing baskets and furniture and do-dads that we need to manage all the stuff!
While finding this furniture at the price I did is a real blessing, I pray that the Lord does not let me get out of control accumulating much more than I need!
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5 comments:
Amen, Mary. I had a friend who used to sell everything every few years just to prove to himself that he would not get too attached to his stuff. Don't know if I could go that far, but we did downsize each time we entered a new apartment.
I'm not overly attatched to my things, I just know I need to have places to sit etc. We have spent very little on furniture over the years. We figure we have children. Our children are more important than our things. So we will buy things that allow them to be children.
Nice post. It is a good reminder to take note of what we are placing value on. I am glad you have a place to sit though.
It's been a long time since "new" furniture has entered my life... in fact, I think my PARENTS bought new when I was wee, and to this day I have one of THOSE couches...
...unless you count "recovered" as "new".
BTW, thought your post on "Let's Play" was really neat - made a comment there too!
...dropping in from Oshee's page...
I just read the quote "Live simply so that others may simply live". I have a hard time justifying spending any money since Jason and Emily told us of the Sukuma people who have a bowl of porridge every other day to survive on.
Knowing about the poverty of third world countries puts it all in perspective. Then sitting on my comfy couch to eat dinner instead of having a table to eat at doesn't seem so bad.
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