"According to your faith let it be done to you"..." ...Matthew 9:29
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I love where I live.
I remember that, at 17 (oooh, there's that song again! heh), I wrote in a notebook something like this: "Someday I want to move Back East. I feel like I belong there." My favorite authors wrote from Eastern states and I envied them their inspiration and their descriptions of places where Life still felt old-fashioned. Even as a teen I adored old things and old ways, something no one else seemed to understand.
Well, another 17 years passed, but finally I (we) did move here and since Day One felt like I belonged (not counting a bout with homesickness which quickly dissipated).
Anyway, it's with a full, grateful heart that I live in this place and yes! Life does still feel old-timey here and the people, oh my, extend such warmth and friendliness, especially when we visit yard sales. We go to those to discover terrific deals, true, but what also tempts us? The happy, kind folks we know we'll meet at every sale.
Like today. Did you see that adorable little coffee table, above? Its price tag said $7, but the woman--who must've had a (lovely) Hungarian accent because she reminded me of Eva Gabor as she chatted with a neighbor--told me the table and an old frame in my hand would be $5.
Loved that. Appreciated that.
Every sale I've attended these past two days was hosted by smiling people who took time to chat with me and help me if I needed it. But then, it's like that at 98% percent of the sales Tom and I visit.(It's probably closer to 99%, but I tend to only remember the lovely people, so I'm allowing leeway for some possible forgotten unlovely ones.)
At another sale (where I let the 20-something daughter keep the .40 cents change and her surprise at that, surprised me) I bought the retro-looking dish on top of my sweet new little table:
Also there, I bought 4 more older Nancy Drew books. Happy sigh.
One thing I believe makes a difference? Wherever I go, I expect friendly people will be there. I've known folks who expect to find disappointment, trouble and annoyances and --surprise, surprise--that's what they get. And some people hold grudges and won't extend mercy toward anyone who doesn't 'deserve it', then they're shocked when they make a mistake and suddenly it's a big, unforgivable deal according to everybody else.
God told us we'll reap what we sow and I believe He knew what He was talking about. He's really great that way.
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"Who is a God like You, pardoning iniquity… because He delights in mercy… You will cast all our sins into the depths of the sea.” – Micah 7:18-19
"Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows." ... Galations 6:7
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Someday I may refinish the table--or--perhaps just call it shabby chic and be done with it. :)
2 comments:
Nice finds!
I shopped with four grand children today, which means I found a batting helmut, a Bob the Builder hat, and four cute puppets! Although I did find a nice piece of blue and white ticking for myself...
Lovely thrifting! Actually the dish from another sale looks a bit Hungarian to me, certainly the colors are......I believe people often act the way we think they will. Not always, of course, but often. And if we show that we think they are good people, they often live up to that expectation.......
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