Not so Futile

Today was an exercise in futility. Until I started thinking of something that had its' beginning on Saturday, and then I realized it wasn't such a futile day after all.

On Saturday, during the book signing 'hactually, a coworker asked me if we had any copies of The Final Storm signed. He had a customer, two actually, who were avid fans of m'lord Batson and they were rather desperate to have a signed copy of The Final Storm seeing they would be leaving the country early in May and had been visiting family here in the states. My coworker relayed his dilemma and the disappointment of the two young ladies who had been given a signed copy of Rise of the Wyrm Lord earlier this month.

So there I am, at work and not only am I caught in a dilemma of disappointment and frustration, so are three other souls. But the story doesn't end there. thankfully though it started to look like it might.

The family decided that they want a signed copy of The Final Storm and seeing as we didn't have one, they leave defeated.

Unbeknownst to them, my coworker takes over for the girls, laying out his own money to get a copy of the book in faith believing that if this is what Jesus wants, things will fall into place. And then he asks me, if I think that I could ask Wayne to come in and sign the book for him, for the girls. Now why did he come to me after we went through all that annoyance on Saturday? We still didn't have any signed copies on Monday-but since I am the store's liason, since I happen to have worked with m'lord Batson on book signings for the store, he has been gracious enough to come in and sign books for other customers when I ask-my coworker has hope that I can ask and Wayne will say yes

Now, bear in mind, Wayne Thomas Batson has a lovely family, teaches in public middle school, and is under contract to write books so his time is not exactly available in buckets and bushels to run in and sign books, he's got to work it into his schedule. To his credit he's always come in, never made it feel like I'm inconvienancing him in any way and he is always a delight. But this time, I asked him not only to come in and sign, but come in and sign double-quick.

Well, I ask on Monday and he comes in that afternoon! He signs the book wonderfully as he always does and signs the paper back as well, and chats a moment or two about the upcoming tour and the really awesome sword he gets to play with, I mean take with him, from the Armor of God gentleman. So, Monday night I have the signed copy of the book for the girls in my possession. Tuesday I am stuck at home fuming because I have to wait for the doctor to call back about my heart and all the crud that's been going on with it. All day, I wait, and wait, and wait, knowing that I need to get the book which is now signed, and paid for, up to the other store branch so it can get delivered to the location where my coworker usually works. If I haven't mentioned it before, the store where I work has three branches. I work at two of them, alternating on occasion, and my coworker does the same so we are really like ships passing in the night.

So I fume most of the day, wanting to go and get the book up to him, knowing the job is only half done, and we are racing the clock. The sooner the book is in my coworkers possession, the sooner it's to the girls. Finally the doctor calls, and while it's not good news, it's not bad really either. Just incredibly annoying. He doesn't know what's wrong-and I'm not his problem any longer-he hands me off to the internest.

Finally free, I drive up to work (on my day off) and deliver the book-but it's missed the transfer and so it'll have to stay there till my coworker, who bought it, picks it up on his own time and takes it to the girls.

So I am practically grinding my teeth on the way home when it hits me, or rather He hits me with it.

Wayne sacrifieced time, and wrote the book and dedicated it to Him.
We believed in Wayne's talent and had three booksignings to get word out to people about the book he wrote.
Someone spent money on the book and got the girls hooked on his tale telling
They come back on their own and buy the second book and read that as well
My coworker comes up witht the grand scheme to get the book for them-putting out his own money-and asks me to as Wayne to get it signed.
I ask
Wayne comes in and signs the book.
I take the book home
I take the book to work on my day off-not getting paid to transport it either place.
The book gets picked up by my coworker on his day off
He takes it to the girls
Who take it out of the country and read it and share it with others.

"Some plant, some water, but the Lord brings the increase."

So not so futile a day after all.