So there I was yesterday, with only a P20 bill in my wallet and some coins. I was going round Cubao hoping to do the groceries but couldn’t withdraw from my ATM. On my way to another ATM I stopped by Book Sale. There were a lot of people, and their tenacity at looking for that perfect find was contagious. Someone was on their knees, scanning each book on the lower racks of the book cases. Others were looking at the shelves with what I would call “quiet intensity”, studying every title, scanning the pages, leaving no paperback or hardbound unturned. To this Book Sale branch’s credit, they now have a collector’s item shelf where first editions and really old books sell between P70 to P2,500. There was an early edition of Dickens’ David Copperfield – P2,200, an early edition of James Clavell’s Whirlwind – P850, but since I only had P25 I could only ogle and drool.
I didn’t really have anything in mind, but as I too began to scan the books near the floor, I found something I needed: a book on world history from a global perspective. It covered the 1500s to the present, precisely what I needed to read. I’m working on a church history project that begins in the late 19th century to the present. The book was published by McGraw-Hill, was beautifully laid out and printed. It had timelines, maps, pictures, all in full color and glossy pages. And how much did it cost? P25! I was shocked. What the heck is wrong with the world? Who would give away a book like that and why did Book Sale price it so low? Isn’t anyone interested in history anymore?
I hurriedly picked it up and brought it to the cashier, paying for it with all my worldly wealth at that moment. As I went out the door I realized I still had a few cents in my pocket. I wasn’t broke at all, and there I was, having exactly what I needed.
God is so good! We don’t need to be a multi-millionaire to have what we need. He provides everything just at the right time. Now I have a road map and don’t need to be surfing the internet all the time. I can begin writing without having to wonder if there’s something I’m missing because I haven’t seen the whole picture. It’s like I have a teacher, a guide to point me to the right direction. The Holy Spirit is like that.
