Last Thursday evening I attended Bo Sanchez’s Pursuing Life’s Dreams and Desires (Living Fully Our Potential). I was eager to attend his talk for my cousin E. gave me a set of Scriptural diaries published by Bo two Christmases ago and I found his reflections insightful and helpful in my own faith journey.
The evening kicked off with an inspiring testimony by Amilia Chai who shared how she followed the desires of her heart and came to be a lay missionary with the Institute for World Evangelisation - ICPE Mission, the organization that invited Bo and his team to Singapore.
She was followed by Jon Oscorto, who used John 5:1-9 to illustrate that each of us had a choice to be healed by Jesus and, like the paralyzed man in the story, we could take up our mat and walk. Jesus sees us and heals us, even if we may still be wallowing in self-pity and blaming others for the situation we are in. I was blown away by this Scriptural sharing for like the paralyzed man, it took me 38 years before I allowed Jesus to heal me.
Then Bo came on and shared how he was hit by the truth one day when he was still a young man and realized this: we each had the ability to define our future. Excited, he stayed up till 3 a.m. and wrote 15 pages of what he would like his life to be, his desires and future dreams. His list encompassed dreams for his career as well as for his personal life, and how he would multiply the blessings he received from God and “increase his territory”.
“Be specific! List things like how much you want to earn and what you will do with the money.”
Some of the items on his list that I can remember are:
“I will be the greatest husband ever – I will kiss my wife seven times a day, I will take her out for a romantic dinner once a week…”
“I will be the greatest Dad to my children...”
“I will earn $XX a year and I will tithe as much as 25% of my earnings as my income grows…”
“I will write a book.”
“I will have a TV show, I will have a radio show.”
“I will live in a house by a pond…”
Every morning when he prays, he will pray his list, offering it up to the Lord. Through the years, he has seen item by item come into fruition.
E. once told me often our deepest desires are placed there by the Father, “deep is calling on deep”, for He wants each of us to experience life as it should be, according to His plan. We are not talking about selfish or self-serving desires, but rather desires that will bless us, so that in turn, we “will be a blessing” to others. (Gen 12:2)
Vision requires faith, the faith of someone like Abraham who went wherever, and did whatever the Lord told him to and was greatly blessed, consequently. Armed only with human understanding, we often limit our own dreams, but if we listen to God with our inner ear and go where He tells us, nothing is impossible.
Bo challenged each of us to make our own list and claim the promises of the Father. Can it truly be that simple? I know so. Now let me start working on my list…
More about Bo
Bo is extremely well-known in the Philippines, where he comes from, for he is publisher of inspirational magazine Kerygma, an author of eight best-selling books, has a daily radio programme and weekly TV show there, and is founder of Light of Jesus Community, Light of Jesus Counseling Center and Anawim, a home for the abandoned elderly. Check out his website: http://www.bosanchez.ph/ Great stuff!
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