A Scare and A Bookish Blessing

A few weeks ago I noticed a suspicious spot on my tongue. It didn’t hurt, particularly, but knowing it was there drove me crazy. I have OCD. I tend to obsess over things, especially when it comes to my health. After a couple of weeks of constant checking, it didn’t go away, so I worked up my nerve and went to see my doctor. She didn’t like the looks of my spot any more than I did. She called Ear Nose and Throat and got me an appointment for a biopsy the very next day. Which gave me a full 24 hours to obsess over it.

I spent that time alternately face- down in prayer and on my phone Googling. I should have stopped with the prayer. What a Pandora’s Box of symptoms Google can open up! What a range of evil ailments you can convince yourself you have

I was unable to concentrate on anything, almost too consumed with worry to function, even though I knew God had me. Even though I heard that still, small Voice whisper… Trust Me.

Unable to work on my writing project or catch up with emails or blogs, I did what I do. I escaped into the pages of a novel. It didn’t have a particularly uplifting message (lol) but it had plenty of action and good characters and it kept my mind off of the dastardly spot for the whole day. Books are wonderful that way

It turned out I didn’t need the biopsy after all. The ENT doctor assured me he has seen these kinds of spots many times before, and though ugly, they are harmless. (Thank You, Jesus!)

This whole experience has gotten me thinking. What if my books could do for someone what this novel did for me? Provide an escape for someone facing the unthinkable? Provide comfort for the hurting, or a message of hope to the fearful? I have five or six books left over from an event I did last year. What if I didn’t sell them? What if I gave them away to people in need instead?

I really believe this notion is coming to me courtesy of God.  Face it, you don’t make money by giving your work away. But this isn’t about money. It’s about using my gifts to try and help others. I really want to do that. To be honest, I’m not sure how to go about finding them. I’m a bit on the reclusive side and I don’t get out and about among people a whole lot, except for at work. So after some thought and prayer, I’m putting it out here. If you know someone who is lonely, afraid, or really needs a pick me up, please let me know. I’ll mail a book out to them soon. And hopefully they’ll be blessed.

You can comment here or email me at mjeanpike2(at)yahoo.com

(I’m sorry, but because of the crazy cost of postage I’ll have to limit this offer to USA readers only)