This happened some twenty years ago.
One day, I discovered I only had P9,000 left in my savings, tucked safely in my desk drawer. Aside from that, I had P700 in my wallet. That was it. My entire net worth. The total sum of my wealth! I was the poorest “Chairman of the Board” this universe has ever known. (I was Chairman of two ministry organizations.)
At about nine that morning, a friend called up and told me that her daughter was in the hospital, and that she needed P9,000, pronto!
I wanted to ask her, “Are you sure it’s not P9,700?”
I closed my eyes and asked God what to do. And as clear as daylight, I felt He told me in my heart, “Give it to her.”
So I told my friend as cheerfully as I could, “Pick up your money here,” hiding my anxiety. At the back of my mind, I was already imagining the morbid consequences of my decision. Living with only P700 in my wallet meant not eating my favorite pizza.
A few minutes later, another friend barged through our front door, weeping, and told me about her family problems. It ended with her very nervous plea, “Bo, can you give me P500?”
I started laughing. “Not P700?”
She shook her head, baffled at my question. I pulled out my wallet and gave her P500. (When you have a very thin wallet, that simple act was very difficult to do!) But as I did that, a small crumpled, folded-up paper popped out of my wallet. I picked it up and couldn’t believe my eyes: It was another P500!
Where in the world did that come from? Suddenly, I felt God was telling me it was “miracle” time.
In my excitement, I wanted to get my P9000 ready to be given away. (Who knows what will pop out as I did that?)
I went to my room and grabbed the wad of paper bills from my drawer–and shoved it into an envelope. But before sealing it, I thought of recounting the cash.
I counted, “One thousand…two thousand…three thousand… four thousand…” I began to cry when I counted, “ten thousand… eleven thousand… twelve thousand… thirteen thousand… fourteen thousand… fifteen thousand!”
To this day, I don’t know where that extra money came from. Perhaps I counted it wrong the first time. But whatever reason, it really doesn’t matter. What I knew was God was telling me a very simple message, a message that I still bring in my heart to this day–“When I give, God will take care of me.”
I knelt down and said, Thank you Lord. You still want me to eat pizza.”
The Universe Is A Giant Mirror
I’ve never forgotten that lesson in my life.
Life is a mirror. If I smile at the mirror, the mirror will smile back at me. If I frown, the mirror will frown back. I don’t know about you, but I’ll be very worried if I smile at the mirror and the mirror frowns back. Heebeejeebies.
The universe operates like a giant mirror. What I give, I receive. Most of what happens to me is simply a reflection of what I’ve been giving to the universe.
People ask me why my life is so profoundly blessed. One reason is because I’ve been giving.
I remember one old story I’d like to share with you…
Trip To Jerusalem
When I was 16 years old, I won a trip to Jerusalem from a Bible Quiz on national TV. Not the “Trip to Jerusalem” where kids circle around chairs. (That’s how Filipinos call the game “musical chairs”.) I really won a trip to Israel.
It was the first time I was going to travel, and I was going to travel all by myself for 41 days, visiting 20 cities all over Europe.
Obviously, as a 16 years old backpacker, I was scared and excited at the same time. My mother sewed a hidden pouch on my socks and inserted my dollars there. Because they were very few. Her instructions to me, “Don’t stay in hotels, stay in convents. Don’t eat in restaurants, buy your food and eat on park benches.”
My first stopover was Athens, Greece.
I sat in the airport, waiting for my flight to Israel, when a somewhat plumpish woman (okay, really plumpish woman) came walking towards me carrying two huge suitcases.
I ran to help out. I said, “Madame, can I help carry your things?”
She didn’t understand a word I said.
I knew a little Spanish, so I asked, “Puedo llevar tus cosas?”
She also didn’t understand.
Being charismatic, I was tempted to speak in tongues. But decided against it. Instead, I used the universal language.
I held up my hands as though I was carrying two suitcases.
Immediately, she understood. She handed me her suitcases, thinking perhaps I was a porter.
I then moved my hand like it were a plane, made the “whoooo” sound, and said, “Jerusalem.”
Her face lit up. She did the hand action of a plane, the “whoooo” sound of a plane, and said, “Jerusalem!” We were going to the same place.
We walked to the airline counter. I gave my ticket and the kindly gentleman gave me my boarding pass. I was ready to fly.
It was the woman’s turn. She handed her ticket with a smile. The man read her ticket, shook his head, and said, “I’m sorry Ma’am, this is an invalid ticket. You can’t ride this plane.”
“Buy Her A Ticket!”
She couldn’t understand him.
They had to get a translator, what language I have no idea, to tell her that she had to buy a new ticket if she wanted to fly.
Tearfully, she told them that she had no money. And that this was a stop over for her too, so she was stranded. The man behind the counter raised their hands in surrender, telling her they couldn’t do anything about it.
She picked up her suitcases from me. She walked to a corner of the airport, sat down, and wept loudly.
I watched her from the distance. How could I leave her like this? But what could a 16 year old kid do?
So I prayed, “Lord, what do you want me to do?”
I learned that was a very dangerous question to ask. Don’t take it flippantly.
Because in my heart, I felt God tell me, “Buy her a ticket.” It was absolutely nuts! Didn’t He know that my dollars was in my socks?
I walked up to the counter guy and asked, “How much is a ticket to Israel?” He said, “$256”.
Gulp.
But I knew in my heart that I had to do it.
A Miracle Happens
I walked up to the weeping lady.
Through sign language, I told her I was going to buy her a ticket. (I tapped my back pocket and did my plane hand action again.) She understood me immediately. She literally jumped for joy and hugged me. I disappeared in her embrace.
Gently, I brought her down. I checked for broken bones and found none. We both walked to the counter.
“Sir,” I announced, “I’m buying a plane ticket for this lady.”
The man gasped. He asked, “Do you know her?”
“No, I don’t. I just met her here.”
He shook his head. “Are you rich?”
I smiled. “No. But my Father is rich!”
He didn’t want to sell me a ticket. He called his big boss. In a few minutes, the man marched in and they both argued our situation.
Finally, when our flight was about to go, I thought I heard the big boss sighed in exasperation and said, “Okay. Let the lady fly. But don’t let this stupid guy pay!”
I couldn’t believe it. They were letting her have a free ride. My dollars remained safely in my socks.
Both of us boarded the plane. We even sat beside each other and prayed together.
I was sixteen when this happened.
You can imagine the impact this event had in my young life. I learned that if we give, God will see us through. I learned that giving will open my life to His miracles.
That is why to this day, giving has become a lifestyle.
My Friend Earns P1.5M In One Day
Last week, I wrote about a friend who told me he wanted to donate P1 Million to build one Anawim home, our ministry for the abandoned elderly. It’ll house 20 Lolos and Lolas that we’ll pick up from the streets.
He told me about his desire to donate on a Sunday.
On Monday, he texted me. He was so shocked because in one of his income streams, he earned P1.5M on that day!
Talk about instant provision.
I believe miracles happen when we give.
Give and experience more miracles happen in your life.
May your dreams come true,
Bo Sanchez
PS. Join Grace 100? I have great news. Barely 2 months old, our newest ministry, Grace To Be Born, has prevented 9 abortions already. Hooray! We helped 9 pregnant young women who were being forced by their family to abort their babies. We provided counseling and a halfway house for them. If God is telling you to help me in our pro-life ministry, I invite you to join Grace 100. We’re looking for 100 generous people who pledge P1,000 a month to fight abortion and support Grace To Be Born ministry. Please email our Executive Director Rey Ortega at rortega_corinthians@yahoo.com and tell him you wish to join Grace 100. I know God will bless you abundantly.
PS2. Or You Can Support All My Ministries! You can simply join www.KerygmaFamily.com and support all the crazy things we do for God: (1) Anawim Home for the abandoned elderly; (2) He Cares streetkids ministry and micro-lending program in six slum areas; (3) Tahanan ng Pagmamahal orphanage; (4) Pagasa ng Pamilya scholarship fund; (5) Grace to be Born, our prolife ministry for pregnant women in crisis; (6) Shepherds Voice Radio & TV Ministry; (7) Counseling Center; and (8) Light of Jesus Family. All you have to do is log in at www.KerygmaFamily.com and enjoy also the many surprise gifts we give to our partners! Log on at www.KerygmaFamily.com now. Don’t delay!
