I looked at the clock on the wall. Thirty minutes left. It had been a long day, and I was ready to put the “Closed” sign in the bookstore window and go home. Just as I took out the deposit slip to write in the date and record the checks, a white Cadillac pulled up in front. A sophisticated woman, carrying a Gucci bag and looking as if she could’ve stepped off a fashion runway, entered and approached the counter. I recognized her perfume — expensive.

“Do you have a Bible?” she said.

“We have lots of those.” I pointed to the shelves behind me. “What type are you interested in?” I named the translations we carried, along with their distinct styles.

“I just need a Bible,” she said, “any kind.”

With as pleasant an attitude as I could muster in my hurry to leave, I showed her several Bibles and their various features. I waited while she compared verses in different versions. Why do people who don’t know what they want always wait until the last minute to shop? Diamond rings adorned her fingers and clicked against the countertop as she looked over her options.

Relieved when she finally chose one, I punched the price into the register. “That’ll be $35.69.”

Her shoulders dropped, and a desperate look came over her. “Oh, I didn’t realize it would be so much. I only have $13.” She shoved the crumpled bills onto the counter, then dug through her purse, which appeared to be void of cash. “Just a minute,” she said as she rummaged deeper. “I’ve found some more,” and she counted out $5 in quarters. “That makes $18.”

“I can hold the Bible for up to two weeks if you want.”

“No … no …, I need a Bible today. Wait a minute; I have some other money in my car.”

I watched as she walked to her expensive Cadillac. I felt the Lord nudge my heart, then whisper, “You have an opportunity to give someone My Word.” Confident in my judgment as I took inventory of the situation, I resisted the Lord. In His wisdom, He continued to press me.

When the woman returned, she clutched a plain white envelope. She bit her lower lip as she pulled out the two $20 bills it contained. “This is my grocery money.”

Weighed down by the struggle raging in my mind, I said, “It’s OK, I’ll just take the $18.” I figured I could make up the difference, even though I knew the Lord wanted me to pay the entire amount. I hesitated as I picked up her money, aware the Lord was watching. I knew what He wanted me to do.

My face displayed a polite smile while I defended my position. But Lord, we’re struggling ourselves to get by. Our insurance is due. Look at the car she’s driving. Do you see her clothes? They’re right off the rack at Nordstrom’s, a store where I can’t even afford to shop. I laid it straight out, telling the Lord all the reasons I didn’t think this woman needed me to pay for her Bible.

When I finished my internal tirade, the Lord’s quiet words pierced my heart. “Freely you have received, freely give.” With my argument deflated, I surrendered.

“Don’t worry,” I said, pushing her money back across the counter. “I’ll take care of the full amount.”

The concern over spending her grocery money, and
other cash she evidently didn’t want to spend, disappeared from her face. “Are you sure?”

“Yeah, no problem,” I said. “Just enjoy God’s Word.”

She scraped the money back into her purse, picked up her new Bible and left. I watched as she got into her sleek, white Cadillac and drove off. She had not shopped in the store before, so I never expected to see her again.

Then one day she reappeared. “I came here a couple of weeks ago and you gave me a Bible,” she said. “I wanted to thank you. You have no idea how much your generosity meant to me. I needed answers and the comfort I knew a Bible would provide.” She then told me that her husband was ill and had lost his job. They also had an adult child with an addiction problem, and their finances had dwindled trying to get help.

I knew the grief of watching a child in trouble and offered to pray for her family. I was humbled as she thanked me again for my kindness. I was also grateful she didn’t know the struggle that took place in my heart that day. Tears streamed down my cheeks as I watched her drive away in her white Cadillac.