It is a beautiful spring day. The sun is shining, the birds are chirping, and a light breeze ruffles the leaves on the trees. You go outside to sit on the front porch and enjoy the weather.
Along comes the mailman. He smiles broadly as he knocks on your neighbor’s door. “Package for you!” he announces cheerily.
Your neighbor accepts the package, and tears it open immediately. Though you can’t see what’s inside, you surmise that this wasn’t what he was hoping for. His face is red with anger and you can hear him shouting at the mailman. A torrent of insults rains down upon the poor mailman’s head for bringing this unwanted package.
What is wrong with this scene?
Something about this picture just doesn’t make sense!
What did the mailman do to deserve this treatment? He was just doing his job - delivering the mail! Whatever was in the package was certainly not his fault!
The mailman is just the last chain in a link that delivered the package to this man’s door. The real source is the person who sent the package – maybe his wife, a friend, or a child.
The blame for this package goes to the sender, not the mailman! Likewise, while a “thank you” is certainly in order to the mailman for delivering a package, the real credit must be attributed to the sender.
Who would act that way?
You are probably thinking, “This is a ridiculous example. No one would really act that way!”
Yet so many do.
Who is the ultimate source of everything that happens in this world? Yet who gets the blame when you are laid off? Who gets the credit when you get a bonus? Whose fault is it that the car crashed? And who paid for that shiny, sleek new car?
It is easy to blame your boss or that crazy driver. You can pat yourself on the back for all your hard work and you can thank your auto insurance. But isn't it just as ridiculous as yelling at the mailman?
Hashem is the real root of all that happens.
Of course, we have to put in effort. Of course, we have to try. But without Hashem’s blessing, all the effort in the world will not bring success. It is our job to accept the bad and to thank Him for the good. And it is our task to realize that all of it is custom ordered just for us.
Where in your life can you choose to see the hand of Hashem? For an added challenge, try to recognize Hashem’s involvement even as the story unfolds!
I have a few examples where I can see the obvious hand of God in my life. One is the story of how I ended up working at the Jewish Center. I won't tell it here, but to say that I wasn't looking for a job, nor was I planning on sending my daughter (then entering K) to a private school. Now, looking back, I feel that it was all meant to happen, and I can't imagine things working out any differently.
ReplyDeleteNote that this was not only a more physically rewarding choice, but one that was more spiritually rewarding as well. When we look, we find that Hashem pushes us in the direction that will allow us to grow.
DeleteThanks for sharing.
Ita
When my brother died of cancer a few years ago, all of my family struggled to find meaning. For me, I saw it in many ways. It began at his funeral where so many people from his work drove halfway across the state to be there and to tell us how he had touched their lives, stories we'd never heard because he was so humble. For me, it led me closer to Hashem and, eventually, to meeting Robin. For many of us, it has been a huge growing experience, teaching us not to waste the time we are given and not to take anything for granted.
ReplyDeleteI can easily see that I would not be who I am today if it wasn't for the lessons I learned from both my brother's life and his death. Hard as it is to see, even the most painful experiences in our lives can be gifts.
Wow! So true, but sometimes so hard to see and accept! Thank you for sharing this with us!
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