Blessings in Disguise
A woman planted a flower. She watered it, sang to it. She was blessed to see it grow. A moment later a bird or a curious child comes and picks it. She realizes that she needed not only to pray that the flower grows, but that nothing or no one would come along and take it. Then she realizes that it’s not the bird or the child who took it, G-d didn’t want her to have it. At least not this time, not for now.
It’s the same with health, with wealth, G-d forbid no, but with family or friends. It could be the job you have or the apartment where you live in. Your blessed and then it’s gone.
We are continuously blessed, but do we take the blessing for granted? Do we appreciate it enough or see its goodness and beauty? Is something taken to teach us that we are not in control?
The Lord spoke to Moses saying: Speak to Aaron and his sons, saying: This is how you shall bless the children of Israel, saying to them: "May the Lord bless you and watch over you.
May [the Lord] bless you: that your possessions shall be blessed. - [Midrash Tanchuma Naso 10, Sifrei Naso 1:144]
and watch over you: that no thieves shall attack you and steal your money. For when one gives his servant a gift, he cannot protect it from all other people, so if robbers come and take it from him, what benefit has he [the servant] from this gift? As for the Holy One, blessed be He, however, He is the One who [both] gives and protects (Midrash Tanchuma Naso 10).-Rashi
No, it’s not enough to just have the blessing because we know that the One who gives can take away. There are two parts receiving and keeping. They both require prayer and faith.
Pray for blessing and for its protection or safe-keeping.
And the third key that’s missing? Is there anything else to learn? Is there anything else to do?
What about being blessed and interpreting the keeping as recognizing or staying focused that the blessing is just that-a blessing?
It’s so hard to stay focused. Isn’t it? Imagine that you are at the Shabbes table and you invested so much into the meal. The shopping, cooking, cleaning. Hours of work that you do with love and dedication week after week. Everyone is present, but it feels like no one is present.
One child is falling from the chair. Another one is spilling juice and making a mess. Maybe they’re fighting. No one is quiet. You can’t even have a conversation or enjoy your food with so much going on. You look around and what do you do?
You have two choices. You get upset, frustrated, maybe you feel hurt. Or you see it as a blessing.
A blessing.
So much comes with blessing.
The worries involved with children, because you have them.
Sleepless nights because there is someone to be awake for.
The headaches involved with having a business or job, because you have one.
The thing that needs fixing or repair, because you own it.
The relationships and all their complexities and energies. Possessions and all their expenses and energies.
Blessings? Yes, blessings.
Even a health problem, G-d forbid, or a normal complaint of living life is a blessing for the simple fact that you are alive and have a life. Life, in itself, is a blessing.
So, she’s EXHAUSTED. And the exhaustion is a blessing. If she can stay focused and understand it as such.
So, she’s OVERWHELMED. And being overwhelmed by so much to do or to buy or to get done is a blessing. If she can stay focused and understand it as such.
So, she’s sad or lonely. This too is a blessing because there is a blessing in longing and knowing that you’re missing something. It’s an opportunity to connect and be grateful for when you have it or when you know what it is to feel joyful and content. It’s a blessing to grow and to strive and to achieve new heights. This comes with the challenges and tests and the trials. Which are all blessings in disguise.
You see having is a blessing and not having is a blessing depending on how you look at it. There’s a blessing in a clean home and a blessing in a mess. There’s a blessing with silence and a blessing with noise.
Hashem is the Source of all blessing and He and He alone decides how much, when, the way it will happen and how long it will stay. But we, we should be blessed to see the blessing. Blessed to recognize it. Even in those very moments when it appears like there is no blessing, but it’s actually there.
Shabbat shalom! With blessings!
Elana