Deacon Jude Tam Tran

WHAT IS YOUR WISH?"

"Love seeketh not her own." — 1 Corinthians 13:5
"Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others." — Philippians 2:4

Three men were stranded on a deserted island in the middle of the ocean.

Nobody knew where the island was.

No ships passed by.

No airplanes flew overhead.

There was no internet, no television, and worst of all, no coffee.

After several months, the men had developed three very different attitudes toward their situation.

The first man, Frank, complained constantly.
"I miss my house."
"I miss my recliner."
"I miss hot showers."
"I miss pizza."

One day he stared at a coconut and sighed.
"I'd trade this entire island for a mediocre pepperoni pizza."

The second man, Mike, spent most of his time thinking about his family.
"I miss my wife."
"I miss my children."
"I even miss mowing the lawn."

Frank looked at him.
"You miss mowing the lawn?"

Mike nodded.
"That's how desperate I am."

The third man, Larry, was the social butterfly of the group.

Larry talked all day.

He talked while collecting coconuts.
He talked while fishing.
He talked while sleeping.

Nobody knew how he managed that last one, but somehow, he did.

In fact, if silence lasted longer than thirty seconds, Larry became nervous.

One morning, while searching the beach for anything useful, the three men discovered an old brass lamp buried in the sand.

Frank picked it up.
"What do you think this is?"

Mike shrugged.

Larry said, "Probably an ancient artifact worth million."

Frank rubbed the lamp.

A giant cloud of smoke exploded into the air.

Out emerged a genie.

The genie stretched, yawned, and cracked his neck.

"Oh, thank goodness," he said. "A thousand years inside that lamp. Do you know how bad the ventilation is in there?"

The three men stared in amazement.

The genie smiled.
"As a reward for freeing me, each of you gets one wish."

The men nearly fainted.

One wish.
One miracle.
One chance to leave the island forever.

Frank didn't hesitate.
"I wish I were sitting in my living room with a large pizza and an ice-cold drink."

"Granted."

POOF!

Frank vanished instantly.

Mike grinned.
"I wish I were home with my family."

"Granted."

POOF!

Mike disappeared.

The genie turned toward Larry.
"And what is your wish?"

Larry suddenly looked around.

The island was quiet.
Very quiet.
Too quiet.

No Frank complaining.
No Mike talking about his family.
No conversations.
No arguments.
No company.

Just Larry.
And a crab that looked annoyed.

Larry sat down on a rock.

The genie waited.

Larry sighed.

The genie waited some more.

Finally, Larry said, "You know, I really miss my friends."

The genie raised one eyebrow.

"Your friends who just escaped?"

"Yes."

The genie scratched his head.

"The friends who are currently enjoying freedom?"
"Exactly."

The genie looked concerned.
"Think carefully."

Larry nodded.
"I have."

The genie looked even more concerned.

Larry smiled.
"I wish Frank and Mike were back here with me."

The genie stared.

For several seconds.

Long enough to reconsider his career choices.

Then he shrugged.
"Your wish is my command."

POOF!

Instantly Frank and Mike reappeared on the island.

Frank was holding a slice of pizza.

Mike was hugging his wife.

Both suddenly found themselves face-first in the sand.

For a moment nobody spoke.

Then Frank slowly stood up.

He looked at Larry.
He looked at the genie.

Then back at Larry.
"You did WHAT?"

Mike looked as though he might cry.

The genie disappeared immediately.

Probably because he knew what was coming next.

The three men were stranded once again.

Exactly where they started.

Except now Frank had lost his pizza.

Which somehow made the situation even worse.

The reason this story is funny is because Larry calls his wish friendship.

But if we're honest, it wasn't really friendship at all.

Think about it.

Frank got exactly what he wanted.
Mike got exactly what he wanted.

Both men finally reached home.
Both men finally received the blessing they had longed for.

Then Larry took it away.

Why?

Because he was lonely.

He never stopped to ask what was best for his friends.

He only thought about what would make himself feel better.

The irony is that Larry probably considered himself the most caring person in the group.

After all, he missed his friends.

He wanted them around.

He valued their companionship.

But genuine love is not measured by how much we want people near us.

It is measured by how much we want what is best for them.

The Bible teaches this profound truth:
"Love seeketh not her own." — 1 Corinthians 13:5

True love is not self-centered.
True friendship is not possessive.
True friendship celebrates another person's blessing, even when that blessing takes them somewhere we cannot go.

Another verse reminds us:
"Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others."
— Philippians 2:4

Larry looked only at his own loneliness.

He never considered the joy, relief, and happiness his friends had finally found.

And that is a temptation all of us face.

Sometimes parents struggle to let their children grow up.
Sometimes friends become jealous when another friend succeeds.
Sometimes business partners resent opportunities that take someone in a different direction.
Sometimes we say, "If you cared about me, you would stay."

But real love says something far more beautiful:

"If this opportunity is good for you, then I am happy for you, even if I miss you."

That kind of love is rare.

It requires maturity.
It requires humility.
It requires putting another person's happiness ahead of our own comfort.

The next time someone you care about receives a blessing, an opportunity, a promotion, a new chapter, or a dream fulfilled, remember Larry.

Don't be the person who pulls them back to the island because you feel lonely.

Be the person standing on the shore cheering as they sail away.

Because friendship is not proven by keeping people close.

It is proven by wanting God's best for them—even when God's best takes them somewhere else.

And if a genie ever offers you a wish, take a moment before speaking.

You might accidentally become the most unpopular man on the island.