Estate Sale! Our favorite shared pastime! My husband and I drove to the site which was a few miles into the rolling, Osage countryside. It was quite an estate! Encircled by white pipe fences, the imposing, brick, country home sat on a considerable acreage. The mansion looked newly-built, although the owner, who had died recently, was most likely elderly.
We were impressed by the interior, richly appointed with glowing, golden oak features in woodwork, carved moulding, bookcases and cabinetry. The furnishings that were displayed for sale were equally impressive: heavy, solid dressers, chest of drawers and particularly, I remember, a massive sleigh bed, the headboard gracefully scrolled back like a sleigh.
There were entire rooms devoted to hobbies, crafts, and games. The owner must have been a doll fancier, for there was a doll room, and beautiful dolls' clothes on miniature hangers filling a circular rack. My husband was interested in the guitars in the hobby room, but the one he wanted was already sold.
In other rooms were huge, curved-glass curio cabinets and showcases of collections of various kinds. One wall hanging was pinned with gold and lacquered award pins of achievement someone had earned. I was glad to see a number of Christian books in their library. We bought several for a little bit of nothing.
Although most valuable and valued belongings had probably been removed before the sale, there was still excess wherever we looked, and this was the second day, when prices were being reduced. It would surely take more than one estate sale to sell it all. How did anyone collect so many material things? I suppose the wealthy travel and bring home mementos or have plenty of resources to indulge whims and interests.
I like pretty and attractive things, but sometimes after awhile I don't find them so attractive anymore, and I am looking for a place to store them. It is only natural to enjoy beauty, I think because our eyes were made for the perfection and beauty of heaven. The Bible says that He has put eternity in our hearts.
Today we have a generation of hoarders, something largely unknown in less affluent times. In actuality, we are only collecting things that someone will have to dispose of when we are gone. I try to bear this in mind as we are getting into our upper years. The Bible says in John 3:30, "He must increase, but I must decrease." Something I have to remember when I go to estate sales, for I have an eternal Estate in heaven, where the beauty is indescribable!
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