The Rug

I love a bargain. And I can usually find them in some unusual places. Since moving to Oakwood, the hip way to acquire a deal is to go estate shopping. I have been going to them for the past month or so. Not all of them are created equal, however, and  most of them are full of old lady clothing (we're talking polyester, not vintage) and overpriced antiques. But, if you know what you are looking for, you can find a diamond in the rough.

A local antique dealer, who is rumored to be overpriced, was conducting an estate sale two streets away. I was hesitant to go, thinking to myself that I won't be able to find anything that I would actually want to put my money on. When I entered the house, there were several beautiful lamps, vases, and dishware that I eagerly examined. The prices weren't horrible, but they were still more than I wanted to pay. Part of the love affair I have with my purchases is the price. The better the deal, the more I love them. Sad but true. So, I continued looking around, and overheard a conversation that two antique brokers were having. One man was displeased because he had not been called for the "wholesale" day at that particular sale. The other man sympathized and went on to talk about the same thing happening to him at a different place. Hmm, so all of this stuff, stuff that the bright & cheerful appraiser was promoting, had already been picked over by antique store dealers and interior decorators? Not an encouraging thought. Considering that, I frowned on the prices even more.

Upstairs, a lady negotiated over several mediocre paintings. Another woman was in awe of matching duvet covers. I, however, was giving up on the sale. Or so I thought.  I tripped over a very long package wrapped in plastic. I glanced down- a rug. A very inconvenient place to put one, I thought to myself and turned to leave. Back downstairs I glanced about the place one more time. No, nothing was calling my name. I stepped outside. It was snowing again. As I stood there putting on my gloves, something made me step back inside. I can't say that it was a voice whispering to me or that it was even a feeling. It was just...odd. I went back inside, not sure what I was looking for or why I had returned.

It felt good to be back inside where it was warm. The appraiser didn't even bat an eye at my sudden reappearance. Not sure of what I was doing, I once more surveyed the items for sale. Nothing. Why was I still here? I went upstairs for a last glance, though the items upstairs were more dismal than the ones downstairs. My eyes fell on that long roll of plastic. The rug. I leaned closer, peering through the plastic. No way! I thought. This rug matched the one I had in my family room. It was much bigger too. The largest size you can buy in that particular design, in fact. I glanced at the price tag: $65. We paid twice that for the rug we currently had! This rug was new, had never been opened and was a room sized area rug for $65...and it matched what we already had! Wow! This was definitely a bargain! I tried to hide my excitement since an older lady could see that I was very interested in the rug and had come over to investigate the piece herself. I immediately called my husband and asked him if the rug would fit in our living room. He said it would, so I flagged down the nearby sales attendant and told her that I wanted it!

As I was checking out, the sales lady informed me that the rug wasn't original to the current estate sale and that it had been brought just that morning over from a sale that they had the previous week. She helped me to carry it out to the truck and I told her that it matched a rug that we already owned. She seemed surprised. Then she smiled, "Looks like this rug was meant just for you!" I couldn't have agreed more.

I know some would dismiss this as a lucky coincidence or even scoff over the idea that God would provide me with this rug when I went searching for a bargain. But what they fail to realize, is that I had been praying for a way to make my house a home with what little resources we had. Because of the expenses of our move, I did not have much extra money to use in furnishing our new place. Many of our old pieces didn't fit, were broken in the move, or we just didn't have what we needed to furnish all of our rooms. To many, it would seem trivial to pray for those things. I did not ask God to give me a good deal on a rug. I did not ask God for more money to buy home decorations. I simply said a prayer for Him to help me make my house a home...some way. A rug does not make a home, that is for sure, but it was a start. I do not hesitate to give Him the glory for my finding that rug. Or rather, that rug finding me. Even though it may be a little one, it was another answered prayer.

P.S. I looked up how much it would cost to purchase the same rug at retail: $325.