Don’t Give Up. Do What You Can. And Let God Surprise You!
Andrea Helene Gogna shows us that nothing is impossible with God
It’s true.
Laughter can wipe a million tears away.
Let me introduce you to baby Andrea Helene Gogna. She is the gorgeous angel of Arun and Lalaine Gogna. Arun Gogna is one of your terrific Kerygma Preachers and Lalaine is one of my wife’s best friends.
Haven’t you noticed?
These days, babies come with two names. I have yet to meet a baby with only one. But after 9 long years of waiting, Arun and Lalaine could have given their little one 9 names and no one would have complained.
Yes, for 9 years, they prayed for a baby.
For 9 years, they longed to fill an empty womb.
For 9 years, they visited many doctors, took many injections, went through medical procedures that cost them the moon and the stars.
And not a single one of them worked. Not one!
I remember those painful times when my wife had to call Lalaine to comfort her. What would she say? What words can reach a grief so deep? So together, both women would cry on the phone as one more medical procedure would fail.
It was actually when they gave up and were not into any medical procedure–when Andrea Helene came exploding through their world.
It was six in the morning when Lalaine shook Arun awake. She held the tiny white pregnancy strip in front of his face. With streaming tears and a trembling voice, she said, “Love, there are two blue lines… That means you’re a father…”
They’ve never seen two lines before.
For 9 years, that tiny white pregnancy strip always showed them one line.
Always being the hilarious one, Arun asked his wife, “Are you sure you didn’t draw that second line in?”
For all those 9 years of waiting, they wept a million tears.
But on that lovely day, their laughter wiped all those tears away.
Last week, I attended Helene’s happy baptism.
But it wasn’t just a baptism.
It was a celebration of faith.
That miracles still do happen.
As I write this story, I know that there are many parents reading this who are praying for a baby. Perhaps longer than 9 years.
I have three things to say to you.
First, do not lose hope.
There is absolutely nothing impossible with God.
Second, do what you can.
To be physically rested, Prof. Arun gave up his teaching job in La Salle and Dra. Lalaine decreased her dental clinic hours. She also went through surgery to remove myomas in her uterus.
But ultimately, they surrendered to God.
Third, let God surprise you.
I have other friends who for years prayed for their own child.
To some of them, God gave them the surprising miracle of adoption.
Friends, adoption is one of the greatest expressions of love in this entire universe. I’m not kidding. How can you welcome a total stranger in your home and make her your flesh and blood? It is an absurd act that only the Almighty can invent.
But that’s why adoption has God’s fingerprints all over it.
Friend, you may not be praying for a baby.
Maybe you’re praying for healing.
Maybe you’re asking for a new job.
Maybe you want to migrate to another country.
Maybe you want to get married.
I have the same three words for you.
Do not give up.
Do what you can.
And let God surprise you.
Your job is to welcome His best miracle for your life.
May your dreams come true,
Bo Sanchez
PS. I’m launching my newest book very soon, 40 Stories of Passion. I believe that sometimes, all it takes is one story to change our lives forever. I want to mail my newest book, 40 Stories of Passion, for FREE to all my partners in www.kerygmafamily.com who support my ministry with a monthly love offering in 2008–as my way of saying “Thank You!” for joining me in sharing God’s Love to the world. Click at www.kerygmafamily.com and join me!
PS2. Change your Financial Life! (This is part of “Doing All You Can”.) Learn how to gain financial freedom this year. On March 1 (8:30am to 12noon) I’m giving my powerful How To Be Truly Rich Seminar. By the way, I give this Seminar to companies at P7,000++ per person, but because I want to help more people, I give this Seminar to the public at the subsidized cost of P475 only. (Yes, that’s not a typo.) Bonus: You join the Truly Rich Club. Call up Beckie at Tel. (02) 7229562 (Tuesdays-Fridays, 9:00 a.m. — 6:00 p.m.) right away before you run out of seats (we always do). Or email her at beaconlightevents@gmail.com Don’t delay. Only those who take action succeed in life. So call up or email now!
After this How To Be Truly Rich Seminar, I’m inviting you to go through 2 powerful days of intensive learning on how you can earn passive income. It’s my Truly Rich Financial Coaching Programon March 2 (2pm to 9pm) and 5 (9am to 4pm), 2008. My millionaire mentors will teach you how to grow your money through (1) mutual funds, (2) real estate, (3) stock market, and (4) business. If we paid them their time and actual speaker’s fees, we have to charge you P125,000 each to attend this program! But because it’s “giving back” time for my millionaire mentors, they do this for love, and you can join the Truly Rich Financial Coaching Program for the subsidized cost of P5,975.00 only (Includes all food and program kits) per person. And we guarantee our program: If after attending our 2-Day program, you’re not happy, simply tell us, and we’ll return your money, no questions asked. We’re taking all the risk. Because that’s how much we believe in our program.
Note: Please call us for our married couples’ and business partners’ Discount, because we want both of you to learn at the same time. Again, this program fills up very quickly, so you need to call up right away. Call up Beckie at Tel. (02) 7229562 (Tuesdays-Fridays, 9:00 a.m. — 6:00 p.m.) or email her at beaconlightevents@gmail.com Get the Early Bird Discount: P500 more will be subtracted your program fee!
PS3. I’m going to Scotland and England on June 17-23, 2008. If you wish to organize a local FEAST in those cities, email chelle.crisanto@gmail.com right away.
