What is everyone doing?
When the kids come home on Friday afternoon, there is always a lot to be done. Even though most of the cooking and cleaning is already done, the children still need to bathe and eat. In addition, I have a little challah bakery on Fridays, and customers come to pick up their orders on Friday afternoon. There is never any shortage of things to do on Fridays!
Usually we encourage the older ones to get started with their showers as soon as they get home. This way, there is enough time for everyone to bathe.
But this week, they just didn’t seem to be moving along. Every time I inquired whether someone had showered, the person seemed to be upstairs, talking to my visiting in-laws.
Now, I am all for fostering relationships with grandparents. But couldn’t they talk after their showers, or during the week, or on Shabbos? Did it have to be right now, while they were supposed to be getting ready for Shabbos?
We did finally manage to get everyone ready for Shabbos in plenty of time, and I forgot all about it.
This morning, when I put on my apron to bake, my children suddenly ran upstairs. They came down waving a brand new apron (pictured). “Surprise!” they shouted.
Boy, was I surprised!
As it turns out, they made the apron last Friday, when they were all so busy with my mother-in-law and father-in-law upstairs!
Doesn’t Hashem deserve the benefit of the doubt too?
So often, there is a good reason for what is going on that we just don’t know. As human beings, we are limited by what our eyes can see. This certainly applies to people, who sometimes have good intentions but other times do not.
How much more does this apply to Hashem, who loves and cares for us and always has our best interests in mind!
He knows exactly what we need, and he delivers every time!
Practical Bitachon
When something in life isn’t going smoothly, remember that Hashem is busy making your “surprise apron”! Whatever that surprise may turn out to be, it is something that is good for your body or soul.
Unlike the apron, we may never figure out which “surprise” was born from the wait. We can’t always make a direct correlation. This makes the challenge greater. Nevertheless, we must feel and know that all Hashem does is wonderful!
Think of an example where you actually saw your “surprise apron”. Though we often don’t recognize our “surprises” for what they are, occasionally it is very obvious. Use these cases to bolster your Bitachon!
Share your “surprise apron” example (everybody has one!) by posting a comment.
I have a feeling, or a hope perhaps, that Hashem might be working on a surprise apron for us now. :)
ReplyDeleteOne in my past, though, that sticks out for me, was when I was in architecture school in college. Until my senior year, all was well. Then...I hit Steel class. It was an applied physics class that taught the complex calculations that use to size steel beams and columns for skyscrapers or bridges.
It was hard! Even worse, it was impractical since, in the real world, there are tables, programs and structural engineers for such things! Yet, it was also required for graduation. I fought with that class, constantly banging my head on it, but no matter how hard I tried...I just couldn't get it and I barely squeaked by, ruining my chances to get into the graduate program, which was very competitive.
I was crushed!
However, just as this was happening, I was finding that not only did I love working with computer networks, I was pretty good at it, good enough that the university offered me a job! That began a career that ended up paying better and having more stability than the one I likely would have had as an architect and I likely might never have found that path if I hadn't had such a tough time with Steel.
I do remember one important principle from Steel class that I use today. Steel is flexible, able to bend rather than break and twist rather than crack, but it can fail under the pressure of compression unless you combine it with the solidness of concrete. We all need to be flexible when life twists and turns us, but still stay connected to a solid foundation. :)
Great story!
ReplyDeleteI also love the analogy of steel! Thank you!