Turning into a Three-toed Sloth

Three-toed sloths are the slowest animals in the world, moving only with a maximum speed of 0.003 miles per hour.

That’s how I felt on the day Dump Truck in My Heart was launched at the Manila International Book fair.

For months, I had looked forward to this important event. In fact, I wrote the date in big, bold letters on my white board.
 
Finally it arrived. I woke up, bathed, dressed up, and was ready, giving the driver at least three hours (the distance between our home and the venue is 20 minutes) lead time.

As soon as we got to the highway, we creeped. There was an accident two kilometers away and the vehicles before and behind us impatiently honked their horns. Before long, the highway turned into a parking lot—for more than an hour.

I must have glanced at my watch ten times every second, as though it would tick-tock more quickly if I looked often. When we finally got going at the speed of a three-toed sloth, we only had 20 minutes left.

I repeatedly texted Joan, my editor, updating her on our progress. My tummy knotted, my toes curled, and my breath stopped when, with just 10 minutes left, we were still about 500 meters away.

At two minutes before the appointed time, I reached the escalator, skipping rungs, bumping onto people, and praying.

The God of all grace answered my prayer to get me there on time!

The woes of traffic were soon ancient history when I saw kids from St. Stephen’s School trooping in line to the Hiyas Booth, and Dominic Agsaway, the illustrator, greeting me with a smile.

That was the day Dump Truck in My Heart first moved, very quickly, from the shelves to young readers’ hands—much unlike a three-toed sloth.   

       

All ears! 

            

"Not to us, LORD, not to us but to your name be the glory, because of your love and faithfulness." Psalm 115: 1 (NIV)