To which babysitter would you entrust your child?
Babysitter #1
It is a hot summer day. Joanne arrives at the park with her two young charges. She plops down on a park bench and faces the baby carriage away from herself.
“I don’t want the toddler to wander far,” she thinks. “I’ll take off his shoes to make sure he won’t need much chasing.”
Eventually, she takes off the toddler’s clothes and allows him to run in the sprinkler. The line of vision from Joanne to the sprinkler is obstructed, but at least this activity should keep the little guy busy for a while.
After his water play, the toddler returns to the bench where Joanne is sitting. His diaper is puffed out like a cloud, but Joanne does not bother to change him.
Joanne has spent two and a half hours sitting on the park bench without getting up even once …
Babysitter #2
Malky is a chassidishe mother of 9 living in Jerusalem. She earns a living by babysitting her neighbor’s two small children while their mother, Leora, is at work.
One day, Leora develops a complication in her pregnancy. She spends some time on bed rest, and the situation improves. For the remainder of the pregnancy, she is under strict doctor’s orders to refrain from labor intensive tasks, such as cleaning and lifting children.
Malky watches Leora’s children extra hours each day (paid). She feeds them dinner and even takes the initiative to give them baths without being asked. All this while she herself is in a late stage of pregnancy!
Where’s the focus?
What is the glaring difference between Joanne and Malky?
Joanne does not appear to care about the children she was hired to watch. She seems to care only about herself.
In contrast, Malky loves Leora’s children and is concerned for their welfare.
Criterion #1 of 7: Love and Caring
In order to trust another, I must first feel that he loves me and cares about what happens to me.
Since we are working on Bitachon, Trust in God, let’s apply this back to Hashem:
Hashem loves you and cares about you more than any mortal can, even more than your parents do!
Today’s challenge
Make a list of 25 things that show Hashem loves you.
Some examples:
- I woke up this morning
- I have food to eat
- I have electricity in my home
- I have friends and family
- I have my own unique personality, talents, and job in this world
This is essentially an exercise in hakaras hatov, recognizing the good. This is a vital quality in any relationship!
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