I have a confession to make: I now get sentimental on my birthday. (Yep, I get mushy.) I never thought this would ever happen to me.
Obviously, when I was a kid, birthdays were big. With the cake and ice cream, how could it not be big? But after age 7 or 8, birthdays went downhill from there. After awhile, it was just another day. Another year.
Starting my teenage years, my life was all about RESULTS. Targets. Goals. I was sucked into the cyclone of ministry. The Kingdom of God needed to be built, His Name needed to be proclaimed, countless souls needed to be saved, the poorest of the poor needed to be served… Birthdays? Nah. They were nice speed bumps on the road, like the ones you see in subdivisions. They make me slow down and, after two seconds, I step on the gas pedal and vroom again. Okay, sing a Birthday song for me, say a quick prayer for me, but let’s get back to achieving RESULTS as fast as we can.
But I noticed a curious thing as I got older…
Speed Bump Vs. Parking Spot
Yes, I still work hard. But I realize my real work is no longer all about results but about relationships. (Robust relationship is THE real result.) My real work is about persons and people. Faces. Friends. Family.
When I now have a birthday, it’s no longer a speed bump on the road. To me, birthdays are like parking spots on the edge of a mountain cliff, overlooking the majestic sea, where you can get a perfect view of a sunrise. You just don’t slow down for 2 seconds. That would be a crime. You must stop for 2 hours. Or 2 days. Or 2 weeks. You actually get down the car. Sit on the hood. Fill your lungs with air. Close your eyes. And just be.
Today, my life is all about people: My wife. My kids. My siblings. My friends. All the wonderful people that I serve and serve with…
Which is why I wrote to you today.
From the bottom of my heart, I want to THANK YOU for being part of my life. I want to THANK YOU for the privilege of making me part of your journey.
May your dreams come true,
Bo Sanchez
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