The hilarious (sometimes crazy) Fr. Eric Santos is a good friend of mine.
One day, he told me this story.
Fr. Eric said that he grew up in a very poor family, so poor that sometimes, they had nothing to eat.
But even if they were poor, his mother taught him the power of wishing.
He remembered the first time he blew his birthday candle.
His mother said, “Eric, make a wish before you blow the candle.”
So little Eric closed his eyes, made a wish, and blew his candle.
Later on, his mother asked him, “Eric, what wish did you make?”
Eric said, “Mommy, I wished that next year, my birthday candle will have a birthday cake with it.”
Two Kinds Of Wishes
There are two kinds of wishes in the world.
There are secular wishes and there are sacred wishes.
When little Eric made a wish before blowing his birthday candle (that didn’t have a birthday cake), that’s a secular wish.
When you wish upon a shooting star, or when you toss a coin in a wishing well, or when you pull a wishing bone, that’s a secular wish.
In fact, we wish all the time.
When you’re circling around a parking lot, you wish for a parking space. When you’re on the street waiting for a bus, you wish for the perfect ride. When you’re single, you wish that your boyfriend would look like Piolo or Dingdong or Bo…
You and I wish all the time.
On the other hand, sacred wishes are wishes directed to God. And that’s what we’re more familiar with. Wishes as prayers.
I know that some religious people look down on secular wishing. They say that secular wishes are useless.
But I believe both secular and sacred wishes are powerful.
Because God responds to both of them.
You don’t have to address Him for Him to hear you. He loves you so much, God hears your faintest cry. He hears your softest whisper. He hears the beat of your heart.
Why Is Wishing Powerful?
Last week, I met a friend in a party.
She said, “When I woke up this morning, I had a simple wish: I wanted to eat Lechon (roasted pork). And look what’s being served in the party now?”
She had crunchy Lechon skin on her plate.
I’m not a great fan of Lechon. I think too much of it is unhealthy. (So be careful with what you wish for!)
But here’s the point: It wasn’t even a prayer.
Her question was, “I didn’t pray. I just wished. Why did it work?”
A lot of people are mystified by this.
But there really is no mystery.
Because God hears your wishes.
And because God’s creation hears your wish.
Because Of Hope!
Why is wishing powerful?
Two reasons.
1. Because it moves you.
2. And because it moves the world around you.
First, wishing moves you.
Why does it move you?
Because wishing gives you hope.
In the same way that a man cannot live without food, without water, without breath, so a man cannot live without hope.
Without hope, your spirit dies. And when your spirit dies, everything in you dies.
Hope is crucial.
Because a hopeless person will not act.
Only a person with hope will act!
Wishing Moves You
Wishing moves you.
Wishing moves you from reality to fantasy.
Fantasy is important.
Some people are allergic to fantasy.
But your reality today was once upon a time someone’s fantasy. Reality today was someone’s wish.
The house or building you’re in now was once upon a time but a fantasy in the mind of its owner.
The computer that you use today was a fantasy 30 years ago.
The cellphone that you use today was a mere fantasy just 20 years ago.
Wishing gives you a picture of where you want to go.
Wishing moves you from your present to your future.
And wishing moves you to action.
2. Wishing Moves The World Around You
Wishes move the world around you.
In some unseen way, your wish–both secular and sacred–initiates a movement of molecules, like one domino toppling another and another and another and another…
In a magical way, your wish starts a sequence of events in the spiritual world that will manifest in the physical world.
Why?
Because bottom line, creation is one. We’re all interconnected. Indelibly and intricately intertwined. We may seem separate beings but Quantum Physics will tell you that’s not true. Our thoughts have more influence that we think they have.
Scientists say that the flutter of the wings of a butterfly in Latin America affects the wind patterns of Australia, which affects the wave patterns in North America, which affects the vegetation in Africa. I believe your wish affects the universe.
Where Do Wishes Come From?
Let me tell you where wishes come from.
But before that, read this Bible story.
As Jesus was coming near Jericho, there was a blind man sitting by the road, begging. When he heard the crowd passing by, he asked, “What is this?” “Jesus of Nazareth is passing by,” they told him. He cried out, “Jesus! Son of David! Take pity on me!” The people in front scolded him and told him to be quiet. But he shouted even more loudly, “Son of David! Take pity on me!” So Jesus stopped and ordered the blind man to be brought to him. When he came near, Jesus asked him, “What do you want me to do for you?” “Sir,” he answered, “I want to see again.” Jesus said to him, “Then see! Your faith has made you well.” At once he was able to see, and he followed Jesus, giving thanks to God. When the crowd saw it, they all praised God. (Luke 18:35-43)
The Gospel of Mark mentions his name: Bartimaeus.
Bart cried out to Jesus precisely because he was blind.
Imagine if Bart wasn’t blind.
Then he would have just stood there, just like everyone else, and Jesus wouldn’t have touched his life.
There were hundreds of people who were beside Bart.
They didn’t call on Jesus.
They didn’t reach out to Jesus.
Because they had no need. No lack. No pain.
Here’s the truth: Every wish comes from a wound.
Every dream comes from a discontent.
Every petition comes from a problem.
Without a wound, there can be no wish.
Without a discontent, there can be no dream.
Without a problem, there can be no petition.
If everything is going well, what will you wish for?
Fr. Eric had a wish for a birthday cake because he didn’t have one that year. If he had one, he wouldn’t have had that wish.
So let me ask you: What is your wound?
What Is Your Wound?
Perhaps it’s your poverty.
Or the frustration of not reaching your goals.
Or the humiliation that you receive at work
Or the rejection you experience in your sales job.
Or the broken relationships that you have.
Or the debts that burden your finances.
Find your wound, and you find your wish.
My Wound
People ask me, “Bo, you’re financially blessed. Your small businesses are growing. What’s the secret?”
My secret?
I had wounds.
Wounds that pushed me to success.
Let me share with you one of them: I wanted to eat in restaurants–and I couldn’t afford to do so. As petty as that may sound, that’s the truth.
Once upon a time, I was a poor missionary receiving P30 a day. So before I entered a burger joint, I had to count the money in my pocket. I had to count my loose change! And there were times when I had to turn back because I lacked a few pesos.
This went on for years.
And so this wound formed a wish in my heart.
I had this favorite fantasy.
I imagined myself entering into any restaurant anytime I wanted to. I imagined myself sitting down, ordering anything I wanted, sipping my drink, and reading a thick, fat book.
That to me was heaven.
I know my wish was shallow.
But it was my wish.
Today, that wish has been fulfilled many, many times.
Like last week.
Last week, I was in a hotel inMactan. (I apologize to all my friends in Cebu who didn’t know I was there. I flew in secretly.)
I was vacationing with my family.
As my wife and kids were in the hotel room doing their homeschool, I excused myself and went to the hotel’s Italian restaurant. I sat on the table closest to the large glass window, overlooking its infinity pool and the blue sea.
The waitress recognized me and came to my table with a steaming hot cup of coffee. “This is on the house, Brother Bo,” she said. (Isn’t it funny? When I now can afford to pay for it, it’s now given for free.)
I sat there, reading this thick, fat book, and once in a while, looking at the beautiful ocean before me.
It was my favorite fantasy come true.
My wish had been fulfilled.
Successful People Do
Extraordinary Things
The blind man stood out.
The blind man was outrageous.
He cried out, he shouted, he screamed.
No one could stop him.
He broke rank. He broke custom. He broke social politeness. He did things that other people did not do.
And he got what he wanted–the touch of Jesus.
Friend, do you want to be successful in life?
You can’t act like everyone else.
Successful people are successful because they stand out.
They’re outrageous.
They violate social politeness.
They dare to challenge the norm.
The 3 Elements Of Success
When I see successful people, I see three things in their lives: Wound, Wish, and Work.
First, there’s a wound.
An extraordinary wound.
Suffering. Poverty. Fear. Rejection. Pain.
But that wound gives birth to an extraordinary wish.
A dream. A vision. A fantasy.
And the wish gives birth to an extraordinary work.
The deeper the wound, the stronger the wish.
The stronger the wish, the more outrageous and outstanding the work!
That is why they’re successful.
Do Things Other People Don’t Do
If you’re a clerk, don’t just do what other clerks do.
Take responsibility like a manager.
Take initiative like a manager.
Smile like a manager.
Dress up like a manager.
Shake hands with people like a manager.
And one day, you may become the manager.
And if you’re a manager right now, don’t just act like other managers.
Take responsibility like you owned the company.
Take initiative like the owner.
Smile like the owner.
Dress up like the owner.
Shake hands with people like the owner.
And soon, you may own your own company.
What To Do With Hushers
The people around Bartimaeus were hushing him.
“You’re too noisy, Bart. Shut up. Keep it down!”
But what did Bart do?
The Bible says he shouted even more loudly.
He didn’t mind them at all.
Friend, when you do things that other people don’t do, there’ll be Hushers in your life.
These are bystanders in your life that don’t like anyone to stand out. They believe it’s a crime to stand out.
Hushers are those who want you to tow the line.
Hushers are those who want you to be like them–normal and unsuccessful.
Don’t mind the Hushers.
Stand out.
Make noise.
Be outrageous!
Why The Feast Is Successful
Every week, we gather thousands of people at the Feast.
The Feast is phenomenal.
Why?
Because the Feast does things others don’t do.
The Feast violates custom.
The Feast breaks social politeness.
Let me mention three things that we do differently.
First, people expect religious activities to be boring.
Dry.
Drab.
Almost depressing.
But every week, the Feast is a wild party!
People are happy here. Look around you. We don’t call this the happiest place on earth for nothing.
Second difference: Some expect a preacher to be somber, solemn, serious, and sleepy.
But check out any Feast, and you’ll find a preacher who is outrageous! You’ll find a guy preaching with passion, with laughter, with tears, and with his broken life exposed for the world to see.
Third difference: Spiritual talks are supposed to be about spiritual matters only.
Like prayer. And Bible. And Sacraments.
And that’s fine! We need to hear preaching about that.
But at the Feast, you’ll hear messages about money, about family, about career, about health, about success. Why? Because we want Jesus to be Lord of every single area of your life!
Two Wounds
A wound is a divine discontent.
When you have a wound, God feels your pain.
This lack disturbs your existence and pushes you to do something extraordinary.
But in reality, there are two kinds of wounds.
First are your wounds.
Your suffering. Your trial. Your need.
The second is different: It’s other people’s wounds.
Their suffering. Their trial. Their need.
When their wounds become your wounds, you’re taking on the “burden of God”. God feels their pain and wants you to feel their pain too.
When you feel other people’s wounds, you develop a powerful wish for them. You become a missionary.
Create Your Fantasy
Today, I want to get an illustration board.
Buy one if you have to.
At the very top, write these words: WishKoLord DreamBoard.
It’s got to be empty, telling you that whatever happened in your past, you can start all over.
I don’t care how much you’ve failed in the past.
I don’t care how much you’ve had trials in the past.
Because your past does not define your future.
When you go home, put your fantasy in this DreamBoard.
Draw your wishes there.
If you don’t know how to draw, cut out pictures of your wishes. If you’re wishing for a happy family, put a picture of a happy family. If you’re wishing for a house, put a picture of a house. If you’re wishing for a car, put a picture of a car. If you’re wishing for a ministry or service for God, put a picture of you in that ministry or service.
Pray for this DreamBoard everyday.
And expect miracles to happen.
May your dreams come true,
Bo Sanchez
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