The Impossible is Possible
Really, I’m in awe of her. She’s a young woman taking care of a baby and a toddler on the one hand and her aging in-laws and widowed mother on the other hand. They all live together in one home. Yes, imagine nowadays in our generation a twenty-six-year-old woman living with her in-laws and mother. Her husband works long hours to support their family. He’s a noble man. She’s a noble woman. She tells me:
“This wasn’t the life that I signed up for when I got married. I was young and carefree! Suddenly all these responsibilities came raining down upon me. But we keep going. One day a time. ‘Courage and strength’, I tell myself. ‘Keep walking. Hashem is with you.’”
I’m in awe. Could I do such a thing? It seems so impossible…
For this commandment which I command you this day, is not concealed from you, nor is it far away. It is not in heaven, that you should say, "Who will go up to heaven for us and fetch it for us, to tell [it] to us, so that we can fulfill it?" or is it beyond the sea, that you should say, "Who will cross to the other side of the sea for us and fetch it for us, to tell [it] to us, so that we can fulfill it?" Rather, [this] thing is very close to you; it is in your mouth and in your heart, so that you can fulfill it (Devarim 30:11-14).
Maybe the impossible isn’t as impossible as we think. Maybe the impossible is actually possible?
We start our journey of life and suddenly we find ourselves on a path with so
many obstacles, rocky roads. We sign up for one path and Hashem takes us on another.
And Moses went, and he spoke the following words to all Israel….
Be strong and courageous! Neither fear, nor be dismayed of them, for the Lord, your God He is the One Who goes with you. He will neither fail you, nor forsake you."
And Moses called Joshua and said to him in the presence of all Israel, "Be strong and courageous! The Lord He is the One Who goes before you; He will be with you; He will neither fail you, nor forsake you. Do not fear, and do not be dismayed."
And He commanded Joshua the son of Nun, and said: "Be strong and courageous! For you shall bring the children of Israel to the land that I have sworn to them, and I will be with you (Devarim 31:1-23).”
Three times? Three times you have to tell us? That we must be strong and courageous? Is the road ahead really that challenging? Is it really that difficult?
Yes, it is. So what do you do? You walk. You go with it. You tell yourself, “Be strong and courageous! G-d is with me. The road ahead is trying, but not it’s not impossible. Not beyond my reach.”
***
She’s so nauseous and exhausted. She feels like she can’t lift her head from the pillow. It’s those early months of a pregnancy when no one knows and when she feels like she’s drowning in a sea of hormones and rocky emotions. Her husband is in shul praying and she knows that she has to wake up her children to get them off to school. She’s so tempted to tell them, “Make your own lunches, get yourselves up out of bed.”
She gathers all the strength that she has, hidden powers that she herself didn’t know existed and she gets out of bed. She walks into the children’s room. She gently shakes them, whispering at them to get up, and helps them get ready. She makes sandwiches. She tells herself, “Hold on, courage, strength! G-d, please help me and give me just a bit more energy!”
She doesn’t know how she did it, but they are all out of the house. She closes the door and runs back into her bed.
I’m in awe. How did she get herself out of bed? It seems so impossible.
Maybe the impossible is possible?
It is not concealed from you, nor far way... Rather it is very close to you…Be
strong and courageous. I will be with you….
***
Five fertility treatments this year. Each one a heartbreaking disappointment. She calls me and asks, “What should I do? What next?”
Where does she get such strength from? Would my own heart be able to take it? How many rejections can a person confront? How is it that she doesn’t give up?
I’m in awe. It seems impossible. She tells herself, “Courage and strength. Don’t give up! Keep walking. Hashem is with you.”
Maybe the impossible is possible?
It is not concealed from you, nor far way... Rather it is very close to you…Be strong and courageous. I will be with you….
***
And the hardest one of all. The one thing we all face as the new year approaches…Habits, habits, habits. It’s impossible to change and break negative habits, right?
“I’ll never be that person I want to be.”
“I lost it once again when I so wanted to control myself.”
“I became frustrated instead of letting it go.”
“I’m grumpy instead of happy.”
Wait a minute. Maybe the impossible is possible?
It is not concealed from you, nor far way... Rather it is very close to you…Be
strong and courageous. I will be with you….
Yes, maybe the impossible is possible. Maybe I can change and grow. Maybe I can overcome challenges. Maybe I’ll overcome this difficulty.
“Courage and strength”, I tell myself. “Keep walking. It’s a new year. Hashem is with you.”
May you all be blessed with courage and strength; to feel and know Hashem is always with you...
Elana