Unexpected Provision in a Foreign Land

It was in the early days of my migration to Europe, a time when life was painfully difficult and financial pressure weighed heavily on every moment. I was living with relatives, and despite my hardship, my sense of dignity would not let me ask anyone for money. I was doing everything I could to find work. Yet for the friends I saw at the weekly Kumayl prayer gathering, it was almost unimaginable that a cleric could be struggling like this. They assumed that people like us were always supported by generous and reliable sources.

One autumn day, I went into the city centre to hand out my résumé at different places. Things were so tight that day that I did not even have a single euro in my pocket. At the same time, a friend from my hometown had called me in distress and insisted on seeing me that very day. It sounded as though he had found himself in a problem that could not wait. Later that afternoon, after I had finished distributing my résumés and was on my way to meet him, something caught my eye. An elderly man was placing some of his old belongings on the sidewalk in front of his apartment so that passersby could take whatever they needed before the rest was thrown away. Among the items was a row of books, and they pulled me in like a magnet. A small stool stood nearby, so I sat down and began leafing through them. Seeing my interest, the owner smiled and said, “They’re all yours.” A few moments later, a passerby stopped and, assuming I was selling the books, asked about the price of a beautiful multi-volume novel. Although I was not really the seller, I replied on impulse, “How much would you pay for it?” After a brief exchange and a little bargaining, he handed me 80 euros for the set.

When the owner came back downstairs with more things, I told him what had happened and offered him the money. But he laughed warmly and said, “I gave those books to you, so that money is yours as well.” I insisted, but he would not take it. And so, with 80 euros in my hand, money that felt almost miraculous, I went on to meet my friend. When I saw him, his face was tense and troubled. It turned out that, just to get by, he had borrowed 40 euros from another student. Now the time had come to repay it, but he had nothing, and the situation had grown strained between them. Without hesitation, I placed the 80 euros before him. To my surprise, he took only the 40 euros he needed and refused the rest, no matter how much I urged him to keep it.

That day taught me a lasting lesson: God does not abandon the servant who places trust in Him, nor does He let such a person be humiliated before someone whose help he hopes to offer. My provision came from a row of discarded books on a sidewalk, so that I could become the means of preserving the dignity of a fellow believer. That night, with the remaining 40 euros, I took my wife and little child out for ice cream. It was the most delicious ice cream I had ever tasted, because it carried the sweetness of trust, grace, and blessing.

Some Lessons from This Experience

1. Trusting in God during hardship brings peace and can open unexpected paths toward relief and ease in life.
2. Preserving one’s dignity and self-respect, even in difficult times, is a great human virtue, especially when it is accompanied by effort and hope.
3. Generosity and kindness, as seen in the homeowner’s behaviour, can become a source of goodness and blessing for others.
4. Being grateful for small blessings and recognizing grace in life’s simple moments makes one’s outlook deeper and sweeter.