My husband and I are beginning a new adventure, starting a company that does retail arbitrage.  That is a fancy term for reselling on Ebay and Amazon, basically. Working in this business will give me flexibility to continue working in my Grace In The Wilderness ministry which is my first love.

For weeks we have been studying this business that takes you to many sources for merchandise. We are in the process now of building our inventory, and having lots of fun shopping—something I am very good at. Scott was off last week and we had a shopping marathon. What could be more fun than that.  One of the places that we have been sourcing for our business is Goodwill.

The Trinkets of Goodwill

We have found many great treasures at Goodwill to resell, including a life-size Harley Davidson motorcycle made entirely of wicker, rattan and cane. It is uber rare. I found a set of silver candlesticks and a certified authentic Thomas Kinkade painting for $3 each. It is like they say, “One man’s junk is another man’s treasure.” I also bought a Big-Mouth Billy Bob Fish that sings, still new in the box. It seems they are back again. You can connect them to Alexa, and she becomes a talking fish. It is the latest craze. They are going for $50 on Amazon right now.

Last week I picked up three beautiful original chalk drawings by a talented artist who lived in Pickens. She passed away in 2014. I found her family to make sure they knew the pieces were there at Goodwill, and they blessed me by letting me keep them.

One of my most fascinating finds was a small wooden hand-carved figurine that came from a town in Germany, Oberammergau. The young man in the carving is spreading seeds. My son, Bradley, was intrigued by this and he researched and found the gift shop that sold it in Germany. The people of the area are known for making beautiful hand-carved wooden figurines. The shop is in a playhouse that is known for doing Passion plays about the life of Christ. Talk about sewing seeds, all the way to Easley, SC.

The Treasure of Goodwill

Believe it or not, the people of Goodwill are even more fascinating than the trinkets you might find there. I met a grandmother with her grandchildren buying them books, my crafter friend gathering materials to create her magic with, and a young mother rummaging through the artwork while her babies played. There are resellers there, collectors there, and moms and dads trying to buy t-shirts for their kids to wear to school for $1 each. Yesterday, I met a preacher who was walking around the store telling people about Jesus. He was a dynamo in the form of a small black man filled with the Holy Ghost, excited to minister to his congregation there at Goodwill. The preacher comes every other day and tells people about Jesus. He is like my little wood carving, spreading those seeds. It really inspired me that I can do more witnessing too.

The Truth of Goodwill

It does not matter where you are, if you are around people, you can be ministering and telling people about Jesus. You never know what you might find at Goodwill—a rare antique or a new friend. And, if we are doing our jobs right, some people might just find Jesus there too.

Dear Lord: Thank You for creating each of us uniquely with different interests, different gifts, different lives, and different stories. Please help us cross those boundaries of differences to reach out to others around us to spread the seeds of the life-saving message of Jesus. Help us to experience life at a deeper, more thoughtful level, and to recognize those divine appointments that You make for us. Give us boldness to share our faith and Your love with others wherever we go. Amen

Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, ‘Whom shall I send? And who will go for us? And I said, ‘Here am I. Send me!’ Isaiah 6:8

A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” John 13:34-35

Do you have a Goodwill story to share? Have you ever found a rare treasure there? Please share your comments, thoughts and experiences for our readers to enjoy.

Thank you for reading and sharing my blogpost today. May God bless you always as you go about your daily routines and travels, and may we be reminded to reach out to those around us to sow seeds, and to share about God’s amazing goodness in our lives.