The Miracle of the Pennies

This weekend we had a HUGE yard sale to help raise money for our adoption fund. Friends and family donated items for us to sell, as well as their time, their resources, and their support. (We appreciate it soo much!)

We felt that because we were so blessed that we wanted to "pass it on" and so our motto for the sale became, "Take what you need, pay what you can." We prayed that those who needed the items we were selling, regardless of their circumstances, would come. 

Below are some of the miracles we experienced, and the individuals who touched our lives.

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I talked with a man whose wife was due in 7 days, and he was looking for things to use in their home. He apologetically handed me a few dollars as he explained how they had had some car trouble, and he wished he could give us more. As he drove off, I had this overwhelming push to chase after him and give him a picture of the Logan Temple, but he had already left and so I just prayed that his family would be blessed.
          A few hours later, he came back with his sweet wife. They were able to find more items that they needed, but again, they apologized that they didn't have much - they had raided their "date jar" just so they could pay us. Interestingly enough, they were interested in the picture I had wanted them to have earlier. I felt very strongly that this family needed this picture in their home, and so with tears in my eyes, I explained how I felt, and they gratefully accepted this picture.
          The next day, the husband came back with an old cell phone, explaining that they wished they could give more, but hoped it would help us raise the money we needed.

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A sweet older lady was so excited about us wanting to adopt. A little while later, she came back with the most beautiful homemade baby blanket. She also brought us some blocks to add to our yard sale, wishing us the best and explaining that she felt she hadn't given enough.

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A young couple came with only 2 dollars left to their name. They really needed one of the items, but the wife loved an old box of rocks that were colorful and different. As we watched this couple, you could tell they were struggling to decide which purchase to make. They finally settled on the item they needed, apologizing for their lack of money. We explained how we wanted the items we were selling to go to those who needed them most and offered them box of rocks. The wife's eyes lit up, and my heart smiled because I too have a love for colorful and unique rocks.

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One item we were selling was an air conditioner. Many individuals looked and asked about it, but we had no success selling it. We contemplated different options, but the thought that kept running through my mind was, "The person who needs this the most will come." Later Saturday afternoon, a woman told us a story about how she desperately needed an air conditioner. She told us that she had very little money and was still waiting on a paycheck. With her last few dollars, she purchased the air conditioner. I can't describe how much joy and peace we felt as we helped this lady load the air conditioner. We were so thankful that we had exactly what she needed and were able to play a part in helping her family stay cool during the hot summer months.

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Children from around the neighborhood kept running up to us with handfuls of pennies. They were so eager to help in any way that they could and so excited to be apart of the experience. The next week, they set up a lemonade stand "just for us" so that they could help raise even more money to help us adopt our baby.

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Neighbors who we had never met donated their time, themselves, food, water, shade, support, and more. You gave so much. It was a great way to meet new friends. This was truly a HUGE blessing for us! (Thank you!)

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Individuals shared with us special adoption experiences, advice, resources, miracles, and more. This reminded us how important it is for us to be adopting and allowed us to share our story with others.

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These are only a few of the many different miracles we experienced. It was amazing how God was able to use us to bless others and in turn, use their "pennies" to make such a difference in our life.We feel so blessed and so very grateful for this experience.

Sarah