Feeling Overwhelmed? Try these 7 Tips To Move a Mountain
This is a true story of when God answered a huge need. I hope this encourages you on your journey.
It’s hard enough losing one parent, but when both of them die within five months, it can be overwhelming. My father-in-law passed away on February 2, 2015 at the age of 86. My mother-in-law who was 84 passed away five months later on July 7. Although their health was declining, both deaths were unexpected and came during a season when our family was already experiencing tragic events. My sister had died just four months before after fighting a brain tumor for thirteen months, and two close family friends had also died. All five deaths occurred within nine months.
My husband, Jano, and his siblings decided to sell the Eichler home their parents had lived in for 52 years. But first we had to empty it so it could be remodeled. On Labor Day weekend in 2015, Jano, his sister Helen, and I held a four-day do-it-yourself estate sale. We had to clear the house completely by Monday because the contractors were scheduled to start the remodel on Tuesday morning.
Feeling Overwhelmed
Emptying the house was a daunting task because my father-in-law was a hoarder. He had packed “treasures” from floor to ceiling in his bedroom, the shed, and the garage. We’d already been cleaning out the house for six weeks but it felt like we hadn’t made a dent. The house was still packed with his treasures.
Four rooms of the house were jam packed with furniture and household items. The garage was packed with tools, and the playroom floor was lined with hundreds of old opera and classical music LP’s. In the backyard, ten tables were crammed with dishes and miscellaneous kitchen stuff. The front lawn had tarps covered with miscellaneous items. A two-foot by six-foot pile of metal waste sat on the park strip along with three large metal file cabinets. We also had a large kiln, a kick-style pottery wheel, and lots and lots of clay, chemicals, and other junk in the shed and side yard.
#1 – Give Up Trying to Do it in Your Own Strength
People streamed into the house for the estate sale on Friday night and Saturday and carried things away. But on Sunday morning, there was so much stuff left that it looked like we hadn’t sold anything.
It was so depressing. We’d put in so much work, for so many weeks, and things weren’t moving. I looked around at the crowded rooms and started to worry. There was no way we’d be able to empty the house in a day and a half. So I did what I usually do when I’m in a bind.
I prayed.
I threw my hands up and surrendered the estate sale to God. This job is too big for us to do alone. We can’t do this without You, Lord.
#2 – Call on God for Help
I then cried out to God in my thoughts. God, please help us!
#3 – Be Specific (Tip: Short prayers are great!)
Please bring people here to take away all of these items.
#4 – Trust God to Answer
That Sunday when no one was coming to our estate sale, I sat on a beautiful suede tan recliner that no one wanted to buy. I thought of George Mueller, the British minister of the 1800’s who opened an orphanage and relied 100% on God to supply all of his needs. He never once asked anyone but God to help him, and God sent people to him to supply him with food and money to care for the children. If God could answer George’s prayers for the children, maybe he’d answer mine for our family. So I also prayed, I trust You, Lord. I trust You!
#5 – Stop Striving and Wait for God to Answer
In the afternoon, a few people came by. One of them was a woman named Sue who spent about $10 on a wooden end table. She then said to me and Helen, “Hey, I have a flat bed truck, so if you still have a lot of things left after your sale, I can come by and haul it all away for you free of charge. I have a resale business and can take a load over to Goodwill, and then come back to get the rest of this stuff off your hands if you’re interested.”
I couldn’t believe my ears so I had her repeat what she just said. I got teary-eyed because I knew she was an answer to my prayer. I hadn’t told Jano or Helen anything about my prayer until after Sue made her offer to us. We gladly accepted her offer and arranged for her to come back the next day, Labor Day, after our morning sale ended.
#6 – If an Idea Comes To Mind While Waiting, Act On It
On Sunday afternoon a few more people came by and bought some furniture. I then decided to change the signs I’d posted on the streets in the neighborhood. Jano suggest that I write, “Estate Sale: Buy 1, get 17 items free!” I liked the humor in that, so I made the new signs. They attracted more people and we lowered the prices on everything so items would move faster.
Since the glassware and dishes weren’t selling, I packed them into boxes to make it easier to load Sue’s truck. Jano and Helen had emptied everything from the garage onto the driveway and told people everything on the driveway was free. People came and picked out old cans of spray paint, adhesives, and other things that we would’ve had to dispose of as toxic waste.
#7 – Praise & Thank God When He Answers
On Monday morning, an older man who looked like Doc from “Back to the Future” puttered around the house for hours collecting things and putting them into boxes. He filled the back of his SUV with hoards of stuff and paid us $118 for it. I smiled and silently thanked God for bringing him to help us.
When Sue finally arrived at 1:00 PM, she helped us sort the items in the backyard into four piles: Goodwill, dump, metal waste, and items that she’d take. Her expertise in knowing how to sort things was a humongous help to us. A friend of the family came by with her truck and volunteered to take the boxes to Goodwill for us. This was a huge relief because it meant one less trip for Sue. We all helped Sue load her truck with furniture and boxes.
Unfortunately, we were still left with the huge pile of metal waste, the three metal filing cabinets, about 15 boxes of vinyl LP’s, and a large white dresser that Sue didn’t want.
But even though the house wasn’t completely empty, we’d made tremendous progress. I thanked God over and over and gave Him the glory for answering my prayer and bringing people to take things away for us.
Repeat Steps 1-7
On Tuesday morning, I was at home and Helen was at her parents’ house by herself trying to finish things up. I knew she needed help, so I prayed again. Lord, would You please bring people to take away all of the metal waste and the remaining bulky items…the couch, dresser, and LP’s? Thank You, Lord.
That morning, two men came by and told her they’d be happy to take away the metal waste and file cabinets. Because they’d make a profit for the metal, the also graciously offered to take the beat-up couch to the dump for us.
After Helen posted a picture of a white dresser on Craig’s List, two people came immediately and were practically fighting over it. She’d posted lots of other things on Craig’s List, too. An older man came by and took all of the LP’s and insisted on paying $50 for them even though we were happy for him to take them away for free.
God Goes Above and Beyond
A man from Napa Valley came by said he’d take all of the pottery items that were out in the shed. He wanted to pay Helen for them, but she insisted that he take it away for free. As he was collecting his items, he noticed that there were broken windows in the shed and insisted on fixing the windows in exchange for all the pottery items. So he spent a good part of the day repairing the windows and was happy to do it. Helen reimbursed him for the expense.
The end result was that the entire house was emptied on time. I’m convinced that never would have happened without God’s divine help.
What it took was (1) admitting that we were helpless without God, (2) surrendering to Him, (3) asking Him to help us with a simple, silent prayer to bring people to us to take away all the items, and (4) trusting that somehow He’d answer that prayer.
Are you facing an impossible task? Try the tips above and see how God answers.
Have you overcome an impossible task with God’s help? Share your story to inspire others.
NOTE: These tips are not meant to be a formula. My hope is that they‘ll encourage you to pray when you’re overwhelmed.
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