One More Pass it Along
I was so inspired by your stories of things that you passed along that, in case you don’t read comments on the blog, I wanted to post them here so that you can get your inspiration on and pass along one more thing that someone you love could use. (OK – now you try to write a longer run on sentence. I dare you.)
Here are some of the things that have been passed on. You are gonna love this (but be warned, you are going to start wanting to give stuff away that perhaps it would be wiser to keep. Your husband’s gold clubs, for example…)
Stephanie says:
I certainly have some things in mind; my old microwave we keep just in case the one this house came with breaks down, and a nice TV set someone gave us that collects dust in the garage.
But this reminded me of when a good friend and neighbor of mine went through a divorce and her husband cleaned out their house leaving her AND her kids with nothing but their clothes and beds! I had just bought a new set of pots and pans and hadn’t figured on giving away my good (pampered chef) old set. I was planning on using them for camping or just as a second set if needed. That same day when my friend came over in tears telling me what happened I immediately gave her my entire old set! It felt so good to do it and to go over later and see them using it. It was a double blessing for the both of us! God works in amazing ways!
Kathi Lipp says:
Proud of you girls!
I have to say, I am staying at a friend’s house and I am loving the lack of clutter. She has everything she needs (and a bunch of movies I’ve been wanting to watch,) but there aren’t the “extras” everywhere that make my house feel so cluttered. I am inspired.
Lisa Williams says:
One of my favorite give away moments was when we remodeled our home. My mom’s house was in need of a number of things, so the cabinets and the kitchen sink, that were about to be tossed in the trash by our contractor, were remade to fit her kitchen. To this day I can’t believe the difference it made in her kitchen. Then when we moved, the new carpet I had installed wasn’t the color the new owners wanted, so we pulled it up, pad and all, and put it in her family room. I gave her some dressers, our dining room table, bedroom and a living room set among other things. My boys love going to Grammy’s house because, as my son puts it, “It feels like home with all our old things around us, it’s comfortable.” One of my other favorite moments was when we cleared the house and garage just before moving day, I emailed friends, and then put a add on craigslist that said “Everything free, you’ve got 24 hours, come and get it.” I did it twice. My friends have apart of our home, and I met some great people that could use our stuff, we no longer had room for. Truth be told it was freeing! Kathi, was it you who ended up with the wicker chair? I’m about ready to do it again…need anything! 
Kathi Lipp says:
Lisa –
I DID get your wicker chair!!! I was just thinking about that!!! It is on our patio and is greatly loved.
Shelly says:
What a great story!! We just recently got rid of our bedroom furniture b/c we needed to downsize. We gave it to our cousin, who had just given theirs to their mother-in-law.
Heidi Holm says:
We have been on a roll sorting, tossing, donating and even putting things on the street with free signs on them and it feels good. Today we put our microwave/oven that we pulled out to upgrade on the street with a free sign and it left for a new home before the day ended. Now we have plans for tomorrow and this is going to take place until we feel free of clutter. Amen!
Stacy says:
I’ve been putting out box after box of stuff in front of our house labeled “free”. It’s amazing how fast it all goes. And I find that I prefer giving it away instead of having a garage sale.
Jessica says:
Love all the comments! I once heard that keeping things you don’t need/love/use is keeping a blessing from someone else. Isn’t it easier to get rid of stuff when you’re thinking that way?! I love that God works through us and in us, even in the mundane acts of housework!
I had a chance to take the give-away in a different direction last week.
For many months now I’ve been chatting with a homeless woman named Claudia at the Safeway in Mt. View at El Camino and Bernardo. She has a stroller with two well-behaved cats. Everytime I go to the store, I give her a hug, we chat, and if I can, I give her some money.
Last week, I was several miles away from there, at my dentist’s office in Sunnyvale (Homestead and Hollenbeck). I’m pulling out of the parking lot, and I see Claudia right in front of me, walking along the sidewalk. I call her name, she stops, and I park my car to get out and chat with her.
Friends, she was walking barefoot, one old shoe on top of the stroller. I asked her what happened to her shoes, and she said she had lost one while crossing Grant Rd and couldn’t get back out in traffic to get it.
We’re sitting on the grass, and I look at her feet and then mine, and clearly, we have the same size foot. Since I was headed straight home, and it’s not against the law to drive barefoot (in spite of what urban myths you may have heard), I slip my Teva sandles off and hand them to her. They fit her perfectly!
I walked into my house barefoot, and immediately put on another pair of shoes, selecting from the dozens in my closet.
Although those were the most comfortable summer shoes I own, and I have missed them for a few seconds here and there, I have not regretted my *unplanned* GROI. And I’ve put an extra pair of sneakers in my trunk, so when I see Claudia again, I can see if she wants some winter shoes.