Love Me? Love My Stuff

I am having a garage sale this weekend – selling some of my more sentimental pieces. It is amazing how attached we can get to things that are wood, plastic, metal. I have a wooden furniture set that I hand-painted when I was pregnant with our son who is now 12.5 years old. It says, “Children are a blessing” on the pull out drawers. It’s painted with fun colors and I have fond memories of painting it for him in anticipation of his arrival. He’s almost a teenager and could care less – so there it sits in my driveway waiting for someone to love it as much as I do. Funny thing, nobody seems to be loving my stuff as much as I do or did. They come and nitpick at the scratches in my glass covered coffee table (do they realize they are at a yard sale)? They rummage through my children’s once favorite t-shirts and toys and books without any longing looks in their eyes – no reflections on past fond memories. And why should they? It isn’t their stuff or their memories or their family. Nobody loves your family the way you do (except for God of course). but that is why it is so important to be expressive in that love you have for one another. That is also why it is so important as a Christian to share love to others – they are not used to it. It really does set us apart. They can’t imagine anyone really caring for them and their family and when we reach out to someone and love them like family we are being Jesus to them in the most intimate way. John 13: 34-35 says, “A new command I give you; love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”