CEBU, Philippines - “We went into this book project with the attitude that this was God’s book, and we were His tools,” so reads Cecilia Manguerra Brainard from the preface of the new book she co-edited with Marily Ysip Orosa, Finding God, True Stories of Spiritual Encounters, from Anvil Publishing.
And indeed, Brainard professed that despite the challenges that they faced, whether to choose the stories of well-known people who are not that inclined to writing, or of ordinary people who can weave a story that would inspire, the hands that enabled these stories to be told can only be described as divine. For how else could one gather 18 colorful stories written by 18 prolific writers scattered around the globe, if not with divine intervention. A few of these writers are Cebuanos, including The FREEMAN’s Executive Lifestyle Editor, Marlinda Angbetic Tan.
Thus, it was just apt for the book to also be launched in Cebu. Last August 21, both the editors and a few of the writers read excerpts of their life-changing stories to a select group of Cebu’s literary aficionados gathered at Powerbooks, SM Northwing.
The stories are varied. One story is that of childbirth, and another that of losing a child. There are also stories of troubled families, of personal struggles, dependence, and the power of prayer.
But one thing is common among the stories; these are all personal testimonies of God’s goodness. In its pages we find inspiration from the lives of people, whom we may have thought as invulnerable, people whose life in the outside seemed to be always perfect. Mind you, most of those who have shared their story now live a successful life in the land of promise, the United States of America. And those who are based in the country are, in themselves, respected individuals in their fields. So, it would still be safe to assume, that with their renewed commitment, as revealed in the stories, their life has indeed become more successful than they wished it would be.
Although the stories are centered on the Roman Catholic faith, we could not deny that faith, regardless of religion, is universal. And always the miracle that one’s faith would have in his life, will always be an inspiration to others. That is, if you share it and allow it to touch other people’s life.
A few days after the book was launched, it became one of the best sellers at National Bookstore. Finding God is available in major bookstores nationwide.