The Thing About Used Books

This blog is written by Mark Morris.

A meme that I saw the other day caught my attention. It stated that “I don't have too many books; it's just that I am deficient in shelving”. This could very well be true at my house. I have always been fascinated with books. When I was a child, I would walk several blocks to the city library and spend time looking at the books and carrying the library’s limit home, then I would bring them back and load up with more.

When I started in the ministry in 1978, I realized how important books were. It has often been said that “leaders are readers”.  I was convinced from the very beginning if there was going to be any depth in my preaching, I would have to make sure I found the time and the resources to read. Now after many years of ministry, I still find reading to be a very important part of my life. I find myself taking out a portion of my day to do nothing but read.

As I try new areas of study and go deeper into different topics, the realization that I need more books becomes very real. I have found that I can go online, and there are many good websites that sell high quality used books.

I noticed almost every time I ordered a used book that on the order page there was a disclaimer stating that this book was used, and it may contain highlighting or underlining and column notes in some of them. That was OK with me. I could read through someone’s underlining if it meant that I could get the book at a very reasonable price.

So, as the books arrived, I started noticing several pages of underlined sentences and a few highlighted areas. Occasionally, I would see where someone took the time to make a note on the side of the page or at the bottom and even sometimes at the top.

Yesterday I opened a book and saw a pattern that I had seen so many times. When people underlined in a book, rarely did they underline anything past the second or third chapter. Maybe on occasion, they would underline or highlight halfway through the book and then the second half would be completely blank.

When I looked at this underlining, I realized what happened was they had either lost interest or had become bored. Apparently, the book itself was not near as good in the second half as it was in the first. Then it dawned on me what Paul said in 2nd Corinthians  3:2 “Ye are our epistle written in our hearts, known and read of all men.” 

I concluded that I want the second half of my life to be as exciting and underlinable as the first part.

I enjoy sitting on my porch in my rocking chair as much as anyone, but I realize I have more to offer the Kingdom of God than talking about what I used to be

I have purposed that I don't want anyone to say I had a lot going for me the 1st half of my life and then I kind of fizzled.

So, I have purposed to be involved in the Kingdom of God and to do what I can do for him I want my life to be underlined because it was lived to the fullest.

When someone reads our life story will they find the second half as exciting as the first?  Or will it not be worth underlining?

I am thankful for the opportunity the sage ministry has given men such as myself. It has breathed new life into my ministry and I feel like my life story will have as many underlines in the last half as it did in the early parts.