David Bonifacio

My dad sent me this message at 4:36am, and I would like to share a part of it because I know it will encourage you. It is also the perfect primer for my upcoming posts on heroism. I don’t know if he was awake because he’s catching another flight or because waking up early is in the blood, but it was nice to have my sun-rise-less thoughts interrupted by his encouragement. As Napoleon Bonaparte once said, “Courage is like love; it must have hope for nourishment.”

Many of us have stopped nourishing our courage and love with hope. Many times this is because the past has disappointed us, the present overwhelms us, and the future is terrifyingly unsure. We don’t want to hope, which means to “expect”, to “look forward to”, because it’s safer to work with “sure things”.

I, on a variety of occasions, have wanted to let go of the courage and love in my heart. To lower my expectations, to modify my dreams with reality, and to believe my fears and settle. The problem is, when we settle because of our fears, we actually settle with our fears.

Yet, in a world where there are so many fearful people, with a so many phobias, so many concerns, so many people running for cover, so many people settling, so many boxes unchecked, so many broken promises, failed expectations, disappointed hopes, and torn hearts, and in a world where there are so many messages that keep telling you “you’re alone.” , “your dreaming” , “you don’t have what it takes” , “you’ve failed too big and too much”, in that world, a special kind of character is needed.

We need a hero. Someone who will look into a broken past and say, “God had a reason”. Someone who will look at the overwhelming present and say, “God is in control”. Someone who will look into the unsure future and say, “God’s promises are true.”

Now let me share with you what my dad wrote me:

“…His sovereignty alone will tell us in time why things had to be the way they are. I constantly concern myself for you – even this morning. My prayer is that before God lifts your burdens off that you would realize that by faith He has given us incomparably great power simply by believing in Him (Ephesians 1:19, NIV), exceeding great power (NJKV), surpassing great power (NASB), incredible greatness of God’s power (NLT), immeasurable greatness of His power (RSV) all that to say the unlimited greatness of His power is available today and everyday by faith. The most important muscle one can have. He is our Father and He alone is able to uphold us by His mighty power. This we do not by performing but simply by believing. Nothing pleases God more than faith. I love you David. Have a blessed day and may His power bring you all that you need.”

I wish the same for all of you today, may you please God with your faith, and may His power bring you all that you need as you keep believing. And may you believe for others, and in the process, give them a hero.