The Holy Bible is not the only place to find messages that have divine elements.
God wants his children to be happy. He also knows better what is best for us. All of us have roles in the sharing with others His special gift of love.
About 20 years ago I read The Aladdin Factor by Mark Victor Hansen and Jack Canfield. The premise of this great book is that everyone wants to be someone else’s genie to and we should be more than comfortable, we should feel empowered, to ask others for assistance in achieving our goals and gaining happiness. They state that by having our goals and wants in mind, our subconscious can work on solutions, and by having them in mind we are more able to enlist the help of those who can be the genie to our being Aladdin. Many other processes and principles from a multitude of other thought leaders in myriad fields suggest similar ways of achieving goals; in other words, while the information is not new, its presentation is.
One of the great elements of the book is the assignment to make a list of whatever you want in life. No restrictions; ask for whatever you want, the authors encourage. The goal is to have about 100. I took the challenge. The first 50 ideas come pretty quickly – which included own a pickup truck (since then, I have bought two), tour an aircraft carrier (done…very cool), deliver speeches that affect people’s lives (I do this as often as possible), hit a home run and many others. The goal to hit a home run in a real game (not a street baseball game) led to … well, let me tell you about it.
My family and I lived in Albuquerque when I made the list. As luck (luck?) would have it, one of the dads involved in my youngest son’s Scout group asked if I would be interested in playing on an adult softball team. I declined the offer a few times even though I’ve enjoyed baseball fun all my life. I’m not an avid fan, but I got my oldest son hooked on baseball by attending Houston Astros games in the Astrodome in the early 1990s. I enjoyed pitching when I played at the little league level. I was a pretty good pitcher, but a terrible hitter. Surely that influenced my desire to someday hit a home run.
The man’s softball team must have been desperate since he continued to invite me to join the team. After the third invitation, it struck me, “How in the world can I hit a home run if I am not even taking swings at the plate?” I joined the team. After one game, I was shifted to pitcher. I pitched all but one game in two seasons. I had a great time. While I didn’t get my desired home run, I got a “grand slam.”
In the first season, my oldest son was able to come home for a week or so during the summer from his time at Texas A & M University where he was attending. He loves baseball. Though not gifted as an athlete, his passion for the game is at a professional level. He accepted the opportunity to play on his dad’s team for a few weeks. During one game we had a bumpy inning. I was pitching and I heard the voice calling out from shortstop, “C’mon, pitch, you got this,” and other encouragement. That was my son. We got out of the inning unscathed and as our team walked off the field, he put his arm around my shoulder, pointed to me and called out to the fans in the stands, “That’s my dad.”
Do you think I have needed a home run since that event? Which do you think made me happier? God knows our heart better than we do. My desire to hit a home run put me in the position to get something even more grand.
My list has about 140 items on it now. It is taking on new meaning at this stage of life, too. When I occasionally review my list, I see that some will never happen because of changes in physical abilities, but they remain on the list because there is likely something even more special behind the desire that I do not see.
Norman Vincent Peale states in The Power of Positive Thinking, “Believe that if it is God’s will and is worthwhile, not selfishly sought after, but for human good, that it is at that moment given you.” He reminds us that God gives “According to your faith be it unto you.” (Matthew 9:29) and “Whatever you ask for in prayer with faith, you will receive.” (Matthew 21:22)
The message from The Aladdin Factor encourages us to seek the things that make us happy. That’s a good start. Let’s not forget the One who unselfishly most wants us to be happy and joy filled. Take the next steps to seek in faith and prayer, to be open to your requests being answered in God’s time and with His better understanding of your heart’s desires.
(There is a lot of great information in the book and I strongly suggest that anyone who is breathing should read it. I created a one-page summary of their key points on how to ask as described in the book. It will show you how to ask others. The source for tips on how to ask God are not found in this book, but in The Book. Email me at Dion@DionMcInnis.com and request it. I’ll be happy to send it to you. )