Potential in Everything

Ok, so I haven't been so good at blogging lately. I've been so busy enjoying all of Life's Simple Pleasures!


Let me tell you, my most recent fascination has become garage sales. My sister and I have been going on Saturday mornings for the past month. We're becoming experts! We know the best neighborhoods to scout and we have even become the creepers who do the slow drive by to decide whether a house is worth the 'park and mosey'. I have found so many great things! All of my finds have already been useful in my new home or my classroom. I've saved so much money, and all my finds tell a story. 


My favorite part about garage sale-ing is the adventure my sister and I share every weekend. We anxiously pile in the car talking about the things we would like to find. When we get out at the first few places, we find nothing on our list and tons of useless items that suddenly have a special place in our lives. We rave over the bargains we are finding and plan out the use of our new found treasures. We drive around until there is either no more room in the backseat or until we are out of energy. Then, we drive home and distribute all our loot on the dining room table to show our parents. You'd think it was Christmas every weekend at our house!


I've learned a thing or two from garage sale-ing. 

1. Everything is valuable, we just may not see it's value right now. Many of the garage sales we have gone to are overflowing with kid's clothes and toys. We aren't to that stage in life. But, we already have plans to garage sale together when we are at that stage. 
2. Some things take up more space than they are worth, and occasionally, it is time to purge. I'm the worst at holding onto things...not just material things, but emotional things too. I'm afraid to let them go for 'sentimental reasons.' What if I need them some day down the road? I'm learning that there will always be something else to take that space. It's not efficient to be overcrowded physically or mentally. We have to learn to let go. 
3. Most importantly, there is beauty to be found everywhere. Sometimes we find the most useless items that are worn and dilapidated. However, with a little time and creativity, they can be remade into the perfect pieces. You have to learn to look past the exterior. You have to use your imagination to see potential that isn't always easy to find. You have to invest in the brokenness to enhance the initial beauty. I think this fact is true in life. Often times, we come across people who appear to be worthless, a waste of our time. Sometimes, they just need someone to invest in them to tell them they are worth it. We have to help them see their potential and give them the tools to rebuild themselves. Sometimes, the process is tedious, but in the end, totally worth it!

I challenge you to look for the beauty in something or someone that appears broken around you. What can you do to enhance the hidden potential?