Sunday, November 26, 2006

The Dream of A Library Goes Down.

Last week and this week, I took what was essentially my youth ministry library (easily over $800 in books) to Half Price Books to sell them. I was given a total of $82. Now I know what you're thinking. "Angie! Did you REALLY need the money THAT badly!? These are your BOOKS! YOUR BOOKS!" I mean, anyone who knows me knows about my books, right? Heck, Jason used to SMELL my books when he'd walk into my office, for goodness sake! So to answer the question, "Yes, I wanted some extra money but NO! I didn't need it THAT badly. NO! No. If I really needed the money that badly, I would have found it other ways than selling my books, I can promise you that. These were my books!"

But they were my books. And they were just sitting around all day every day staring at me (along with other things), reminding me of all the things I'm not doing. Of what I USED to do. Of what I USED to need them for, of what I used to reference them for. And I told myself that I was keeping those books because I'd need them again someday, but one day last week, suddenly I saw: I am never going to use them again. Even if were to need them again, they'll be so hopelessly out of date, I shouldn't be using them. That is beside the point though; I won't use them again anyway.

I'll never be that person again. I'll have new ministry, for sure, someday and I'm getting entirely anxious for it...but not that ministry. Not anything like that, for lots of reasons. I just can't. So the books had to go. And in the process of doing that, I freed up a cabinet, almost an entire bookshelf, AND made $82. Not bad.

It took 10 years to fill that up and only an half hour to empty it. Wonder what I'll fill it with next?

4 comments:

Aimee said...

Whoa.

Even "Prayer"?

Angie said...

Aimee who?

If you're talking about {rayer by Richard Foster, I never owned that.

If you're talking about With Christ in School of Prayer by Andrew Murray...well, I couldn't bring myself to sell that. OR..

Celebration of Discipline by Richard Foster.
The Normal Christian Life by Watchman Nee.
The Book of God by Walter Wangerin (the Bible told as a novel - fantastic!)
Basic Bible Texts
Purpose Driven Youth Ministry (I don't know why - I practically have the book memorized).

And, while there are there are probably 20 others that I didn't sell, I just COULDN'T bring myself to sell my autographed copy of Oral Robert's, "God is a Good God."

I think I was afraid he might call down lightning from heaven or fine me $50 if I did!

Aimee said...

Aimee who? Har har. I have a life and it includes, for the past month anyway, a husband who had kidney stones and a child who was sick all last week. High fevers that reached 104+ degrees. :-P

How did you get through "Christian Faith & Ministry" without owning that book? I have to say, it was one of the books I truly enjoyed and kept.

Hahaha... $50 fine. Thanks for making me laugh. I needed that. BTW, were you ever really fined? I wasn't, but I did have a big long distance bill once. You know, the school operated "service."

OTRgirl said...

I met my future husband when he lead a bible study that included With Christ in the School of Prayer. Also lots of Tozer. Love Normal Christian Life and Book of God. I'm not so crazy about Foster, sad to say. I've only attempted Purpose Driven Life, but it drove me nuts.

Love the 'aimee who?' Glad to hear you're still alive, Aimee!