By Racheli Reckles
Great Blessing
One afternoon as I was nursing my baby to sleep, I caught myself staring mindlessly at the tree outside his bedroom window.
“Do you know,” I wondered to myself, “how many leaves are growing on this tree?” Then came a rollercoaster of thoughts. How many leaves are engaging in photosynthesis at this very moment, converting carbon dioxide into air and energy using the light of the sun? How about the amazing vascular transport system that brings water and other nutrients from the soil all the way to the tips of the branches? All this is being done simultaneously in each tree, plant, and blade of grass all over the entire world.
This is truly an amazing miracle that we don’t even realize is happening every day! This led me to the clear understanding that the Creator is performing a countless number of miracles for us each and every second.
The only way to really internalize and benefit from this knowledge is through expressing gratitude to the Creator. By expressing your gratitude, you are actively creating the greatest vessel to draw blessings into your life.
All For Our Best
To really understand what it means to have gratitude, we must first realize two fundamental principles. First, we must consider our relationship with God as one of a child and parent.
Second, we must understand that everything God does is for our ultimate best. Let’s explore the first principle in greater detail. Take the point of view of a mother who loves her child. Does the mother not spend much of her time thinking about how much she loves her child and how much she wants to give him everything she can? Where do you think these thoughts come from? Why are they such a part of our maternal nature? Our neshamot (divine sparks within us) are a part of the Creator.
How many of us moms ask our children constantly, “Do you know how much I love you? If you only knew you would never be sad!” Every second we are alive our Heavenly Father is whispering this lovingly in our ears. Once we work on internalizing this principle, we can move on to the second point.
Everything God does is for our best. Sure, that’s easy to say, and maybe even easy to believe when things are going well. But what about the times when you feel like your world is crashing around you? How about when everything “bad” is happening all at once? What is your heart feeling then? Are you thanking the Creator for these tough moments or are you suffering?
The
Shulchan Aruch, which is the compilation of Jewish Law, states that one must thank the Creator for the seemingly bad in the same way as one thanks Him for the good. Why? This is based on the reasoning that the Creator is All Good; therefore, all that He does is good.
Anything not good is exclusive of God, therefore not a part of Him. If one believes a situation is not good, then one must also believe it didn’t come from God, which means there is another source in control besides God, which according to Jewish law is heresy.
Obviously we cannot see the big picture with our five senses, especially when we are going through a difficult challenge. Think back to a time when you were going through something and you didn’t see the hidden blessing in it until afterwards. Once you realized it was for the best, weren’t you grateful for that difficult time?
According to Judaism, once we return with humility to God and ask for His help, we can receive tremendous divine mercy and assistance. The Holy Zohar, which is the main source for esoteric wisdom in Judaism written by Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai, states, “Open for me an opening no wider than the eye of a needle and I will open for you the supernal gates.” In essence, all the Creator wants from us is to just take the first step and He will take care of the rest. That first step is gratitude.
Nothing mitigates stern judgements like gratitude. Going back to our parent/child allusion, imagine that you give and give to your child whatever he wants, and all he does is complain about what he does not have. Would you want to keep giving to such a child? No, because you do not want him to grow up without appreciating anything.
Now, if you had a child who profusely thanked you for every little thing, would you not try your hardest to make sure that this child had everything he needed and more? What about if you ground your child for something he did and he still thanks you because he understands this will make him a more responsible adult? Would you not consider shortening his sentence? This is how we must come to look at the gift of gratitude. We can use it to sweeten any heavenly jugements we may have against us, God forbid. It is one of our greatest weapons to ensure we have a life of fulfillment and joy, not hardships.
Personal Prayer
Rabbi Nachman of Breslev, the great grandson of the Baal Shem Tov, combined the secrets of Kabbalah, or the mystical aspect of Judaism, with in-depth Torah knowledge. He championed developing a personal and intimate connection with the Creator through hitbodedut, or personal prayer.
Rabbi Nachman fundamentally states that through this type of relationship with God one can find his own personal salvation. How do we accomplish this? By taking time out of our day, at least a few minutes, and thanking the Creator for everything we have in our lives, even and especially the challenges. Here are some easy steps to help you get started:
1. Set aside a few minutes when you will be undisturbed, preferably among the beauty of nature.
2. Ask the Creator to help you find the right words to express yourself as best as you can.
3. Thank Him for the things you appreciate the most in your life. If you have a hard time starting, look within yourself. Think about the miracle of your body, what is going on each and every second. Think about how many times your heart beats every moment, never stopping for a break. As you become more accustomed to thanking God for your body, you will be amazed at what you have taken for granted. For example, when was the last time you thanked the Creator for your teeth? Can you chew? Wonderful! Can you swallow your food without choking? Fantastic! Have you tried to eat without doing either of these two things? Impossible!
4. Thank Him for your challenges. Remember that the challenges are the motivational tools for you to come closer to God. Thank Him for the opportunity He is giving you to return to him. Ask for guidance and increased spiritual awareness that will help you to understand why you are going through your difficulty. Try to realize that there are worse things that can happen and look for the mercy in your situation.
5. Ask God for help. This part is a bit tricky. This is not an excuse to complain; rather, it is a chance for you to recognize that you are only human and maybe not capable of extracting yourself from a difficult situation.
Once you realize that the challenge is a stimulus for you to turn to Him, you will be pleasantly surprised at how quickly it can be resolved, sometimes not even through any of your own efforts. If you have a hard time starting, don’t be discouraged. The sages say the farthest distance in the world is between the brain and the heart. Knowledge takes time to internalize into wisdom. I know from experience, however, that if you do this every day, you will be amazed at how much positive change you will see within yourself and in your surroundings.
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