Nothing like clearing out everything to discover items we once treasured, forgot or simply could not allow ourselves to throw out or give away.
Two years ago, a preservation society began clearing out the house once owned by Samuel Johnston, governor of North Carolina from 1787-1789. In a long neglected junk room filled with old chairs, inside a short filing cabinet, lay one of eight still existing copies of the U.S. Constitution of the 100 printed to send to the 13 state governors and others before ratification.
According to the Associated Press story, that copy recently sold for $9 million at a Brunk auction. The name of the buyer remains anonymous. Reportedly, bidding took just over seven minutes. Most of the bids came over the phone with bids going up $500,000 with each bid. Bidding paused at $8.5 million before another phone bidder closed the deal at $9 million. The buyer then paid an additional 23 percent auction premium and taxes pushing his cost to over $11 million. The last sale of a copy of the then proposed Constitution was in 1891 and cost $400.
Auctioneer and auction house owner Andrew Brunk said that the auction was originally set for Sept. 28 until Hurricane Helene swept through, leaving behind catastrophic damage in the area that delayed the event.
Obviously most possessions never accrue anywhere close to that value. Mostly we simply cherish the memories associated with an object. Sorting through memories was just what one son did with his late mother’s clothes, furnishings and collections. Most items he passed along. He did, however, keep her well-marked, much read Bible. He placed it where he could see it, but visiting grandchildren would not damage it.
One day he heard Steve Schmidt of Love Packages say, “Pastors in the countries to which we ship Bibles and Christian literature need that Bible you have sitting unused on a shelf. Don’t let it go to waste. Donate it, so that it continues to make a spiritual impact.”
The sentimental son initially shrugged off the idea. It was his mother’s Bible. Still he felt he should donate it. So he carried his mother’s well marked Bible to Steve at the shipping center. They chatted a bit before the man held out the Bible saying, “this is my mother’s Bible that she carried for years. She made notes in it everywhere.” He handed it to Steve who was sorting donations into bins marked for reference materials, Bibles, study books or lessons. The bins facilitate quick packing by category.
Steve took the Bible, said “Thank you.” and tossed it into the large, heavy cardboard storage bin holding Bibles.
The man could not believe such cavalier treatment of his mother’s Bible.
“He just tossed it into that box!” The son told his friends back home. He repeated his disapproval often over the next few weeks and months. His comments ended the day a letter arrived from the pastor who received his mother’s Bible in a far off country.
“Thank you for this Bible. I have been blessed reading the notes written in the margins. I study it before going to the villages where I preach. Using this Bible as I preached, I have seen 70 folks make a decision for Jesus.”
The man’s criticism stopped. His mom’s Bible had blessed a pastor and his congregations. Now it continues to bless far more people than it would have just sitting on the shelf. Plus, the Bible will continue to enrich lives for many years to come.
No matter how much time passed, that one, well-used Bible would never have accrued a monetary value like the lost copy of the Constitution. However its eternal value is infinitely greater than the $9 million the preservation society received when they decided to sell rather than keep the document another 200 years.
Joan Hershberger may be reached at joanh864@gmail.com