Once, I seriously considered opening a bookstore. Probably from a financial point of view it is a good thing I didn’t, although I still wish I had. Since I was a child, I have always loved libraries and bookstores. I can enter a bookstore to this day without any book in mind and invisible rays search me out and bring to my attention that which I find helpful, no matter how remotely shelved or hidden. In what appears to be accidental ways, particular paragraphs, pages, and entire books are brought to my attention.
I have read several times that a great way to read the Bible or to begin prayer is to just open the Bible randomly and begin to read. Soon you will find yourself in a conversation with God
I have often thought that the best job in the world would be “reference librarian.” Reference librarians get to play with the research questions and go on safari through the stacks hunting for resources. They can ponder the issues free of the burden of actually writing a paper or arriving at final conclusions.
Maybe this is a way to start conversations with God: start with enthusiasm about someone else’s questions (about things that may or may not be of concern), open one’s mind to the full range of possibilities, enter with no expectation of “results,” and simply allow the Spirit to move.
Cheers,
B