KEEP THE NUMBER OF YOUR HEART SECRET by Bo Sanchez

Can you believe this?

At a time when KERYGMA had about 250,000 readers all over the country (there’s more today) plus a few more thousands around the world, we only had two phone lines in our office.

You read that right: Two.

That was like putting the entire Pacific Ocean through a small two-inch pipe.

And rusty ones too. Because our phones had the audacity to break down on us. During that memorable era of our history, if you called us up and heard a ring you didn’t shout Yabadabadoo just yet. Some actually danced the boogie and bought some ice cream at that point, but we advised not to do them yet.

Because the phone could have been busted, and all you’d have heard was the ringing. And the ringing. And the ringing. And nothing else, except your own scream: “Aaaarrrrggggggh!” Imagine how our callers felt? Some suffered a neurotic episode right there.

And if you heard a ring when you called us up, we asked people to check what time it was: It may have been two in the morning.

But here was the real miracle. If you finally heard our receptionist lift up the receiver and say, “This is KERYGMA office, may I help you?” we gave you the go ahead signal to break down into joyful weeping and dance not only the boogie, but the cha-cha and tango at the same time. Buy the ice cream, we told you, and fly off to Boracay ( Editors note: It's a very popular island resort in the Philippines.)

Because you beat the odds.

You won.

You out-dialed thousands of callers.

Believe me, probability-wise, you had more chances of being killed by a terrorist than reaching us by phone.

Guess what.

Nowadays, I feel that God doesn’t eat ice cream as often as He wants to.

Because every time He calls us, all He gets is the busy signal.

Our hearts receive thousands of calls from our different affections and attachments and ambitions...

This is my suggestion (It’s really quite simple): Keep the number of your heart secret. Between you and God. Please don’t share it to the whole world. Let your deepest, most powerful affections be for Him. Alone.

And then no one else will clog your line.

Not your dreams.

Or your idols.

Or your other loves.

God isn’t on diet.

Let Him enjoy all the ice cream in the world.


(Click here to view the rest of the many wonderful articles that await you in www.ParishWorld.net, America's Catholic Lifestyle Magazine)