Toys Collection and Moving

It is Labor Day weekend, a time when families take one last trip before fully diving into school and the unofficial end to summer. Many people look forward to a break from labor, but my family has been laboring to get ready for this weekend.

My paternal grandfather died in 2019, just before Thanksgiving. Since then, grandma has remained living in their house out in the country. Recently, she looked at an apartment at a retirement home in town and decided it was time to move on Labor Day. Therefore, my family has been helping her go through the house she has lived in for nearly 60 years and decide what to take. Part of the process has also meant going through grandpa's things, including his toy collection.

Like most boys growing up in rural Iowa, I played with toy farm equipment and semis. Up through high school, I was in a competition with grandpa on who had what trucks. I had a few he didn't, but he also made sure I got a few special ones while they were still available. Of course, grandpa's collection far exceeded mine and nearly filled an entire room of their house. That room has hardly been touched since 2019, until now.

Dad and I looked through the expansive number of trucks and tractors that were on display. Several of them invoking memories of grandpa and our light-hearted competition. My uncles and cousins had taken a couple items already, and I picked about a dozen trucks to take. However, it hardly made a dent in the number that remain. I would gladly take any my family didn't want, but why?

Sometimes reality hits hard, and different seasons of life often do that. Since I don't have a family, I don't have children to pass memories down to. I am also limited on what funds I can have, so working on selling some items also wouldn't be good. However, the house itself is also a memory and reminder.

Just a few miles out of town, and a nice distance from the main road, it's an ideal location. I would love to be able to move in, live in the country, and help at the farm. Next weekend, grandma's neighbor is auctioning off his farm equipment and many acres of land. In my dreams, I imagine buying the land and operating my own farm, along with my family's adjoining fields.

God's plan for my life is a completely different path. I am thankful for what I have been given, even when reality is hard. I will continue to have memories, and see what my cousins do with the house and land going forward. Now, I need to finalize everything for preaching next week, and the tasks God has given me.