The Power of Asking for What You Want

Have you ever “magically” gotten something you were hoping for, even though it seemed pretty far-fetched? I have. In recent years I’ve read several books on the philosophy known as the Law of Attraction. It’s not a new concept, but it has once again grown in popularity. I find it very intriguing; and as a Catholic, it has given me a whole new perspective and connection with God, and especially the Holy Spirit, that I hadn’t quite grasped before. (Sidenote: I have no idea what the Catholic standing is on the Law of Attraction, and hopefully the Pope doesn’t excommunicate me or dowse me in Holy Water, haha.)

Nonetheless, there have been things, events, and moments in my life that I wonder if the whole Law of Attraction wasn’t at play. Monumental things such as my daughter, and a trip to Italy, to little things like my thinking I needed a dresser to organize all of my craft supplies, and a spiffy free one all but fell into my lap. (It even had “Be still, and know that I am God…” stenciled on the top of it. I kid you not!) In these instances, I just randomly stated what I wanted, and poof…

After learning about the Law of Attraction concept, I gradually began to no longer believe in coincidences. I also started dipping in my toe and testing the waters of this newfound mindset. However, it wasn’t until last week that I could actually, without a doubt, say that I manifested something. (Though I tend to think that saying gives too much credit to me and not enough to God…) The following story might seem inconsequential to some, but for me, it’s huge.

I was at the beach with my family and my best friend, Courtney, and her family. My daughter (Little Miss Eagle Eyes) had managed to find two pieces of clear sea glass while digging in the sand. This was quite a find, as sea glass on this particular beach isn’t easy to come by (which is good since it’s essentially litter, after all). After this grand discovery, Courtney and I were on our own quest for some sea glass. We joined the kids in the never-ending seashell treasure hunt, and Courtney found a large piece of clear sea glass the next day. (Thankfully she didn’t step on it because it probably would’ve hurt!) After another day of searching for sea glass myself, and coming up empty-handed, I decided to employ the Law of Attraction.

The next day, I asked God to help me find a piece of sea glass (before, I’d have never dreamed of “bothering” God for something so trivial). I decided that it should be a piece of green sea glass (like the kind from a Heineken bottle) so that I could see it better in the waves and sand. I visualized the color and thought about how great it would be to find it, BELIEVED that I would, and thanked God for helping me. I concentrated on these things and maintained my faith while shell hunting; and that very afternoon, I indeed saw a small piece of GREEN sea glass in the surf. I plunged for it and missed. I anxiously continued peering into the waves and sand, but couldn’t find it again. After about ten minutes of obstinately searching, I mentioned my tragic near-find to Courtney. As she walked past my daughter, Olivia, who was a few yards away, she told her to keep an eye out for a piece of green sea glass that I was looking for. And not thirty seconds later, Olivia picked up the dang thing, held it high, and asked, “Like this?” My jaw actually dropped. I excitedly exclaimed, “YES!!” We all gathered around her in amazement. Then, I sheepishly asked her if I could have it. She told me, “Of course!” and happily gave it to me, excited to be the hero of the day. (And she probably wondered why her mother was so giddy over a piece of litter, haha.)

This little piece of glass is a testament. I asked for something that seemed insignificant and also impossible (to find a tiny piece of green sea glass in a huge ocean), but I believed. And God provided for me in a way even more wonderful than I imagined (of course). The end result was that I still found and eventually got the piece of green sea glass, but it’s even better because of the back story, as well as it being a gift from Olivia. All of that makes it so much more special than if I had simply found it myself.

This humble, and tumble worn, piece of glass now sits on my desk as a reminder to have unshakeable faith in other areas of my life as well. Don’t be afraid to ask God (or the universe, if you prefer) for what you want. Because truly, the possibilities are endless.