This article was previously published in 2018.
There is a saying, “You cannot see the forest for the trees.” In life, it is not always easy to understand why things happen as they do. We have heard before that God works in mysterious ways. Oftentimes in life, things happen that seem unexplainable. We may find ourselves wondering why bad things happen to good people. We may find ourselves doubting our life and the Universe. We may wonder when the good will finally come to us from all the good we have done. We may even find ourselves experiencing great difficulties for seemingly no reason at all. In these moments, I like to remind myself that life is like a beautiful tapestry. Up close, we see a disarray of color and patterns creating an unpleasant and disordered image. But when the tapestry is hung on the wall and we step back, we can at last see the beautiful image concealed from us the whole time. Life is just like this tapestry. We may find ourselves meeting and knowing myriads of people all of which seem random and meaningless. We find ourselves a part of an endless number of experiences, good and bad, that may offer us, at the time, no reason. But, if we are willing to, we can look back on our own past, and I bet, if we try, we can see how everything we experienced had purpose. We can see why the events unfolded in our lives the way they did. When we zoom out, we can see the divine orchestration in every thread of our lives.
"We receive this wisdom, awareness and greater understand-ing of our world."
This week our portion is Mishpatim. Here we find the Israelites, just upon release from slavery, receiving insight into the operations of the Universe. The Creator, via Moses, imparts the workings of the Universe as well as the future path the Creator has laid out for them. Having experienced their great rebirth, the Israelites are given an instruction manual on how to tap into the positive aspects of life. Moses explains the importance of treating each other with human dignity and other additional universal laws on how to treat one another.
We too, like the Israelites, need the instruction manual of life. This week, we receive this manual. We receive this wisdom, awareness and greater understanding of our world.
As a child, we may have heard the Golden Rule, “Do unto others as you would have done unto you.” We learned as children to be kind to each other. We may have also learned what happens if we are not. If we ever pushed a classmate, they may have pushed us right back. Sometimes, we may have found ourselves getting pushed for no reason at all.
"Life is truly beautiful."
We can never really see the big picture in life. We are sometimes confused on why things happen as they do. But if we trust there is a greater plan to life, we can lessen our fears and anxiety about living in this world. When we know the Universe is wise and compassionate, we can operate from a place of certainty. We can come to know that the Creator loves us and does not place into our lives anything, anyone, or any circumstance that is not for our own benefit and growth.
This week in your meditations, imagine floating above the world and seeing it at a distance. The beauty of the pearly white clouds covering the rich greens and deep blues of the land and sea. See the magnificence of the Earth operating and glowing in space. Now imagine your slow descent down to Earth. As you get closer, more and more detail comes to your eyes. Finally, land on Earth and become aware of thousands and thousands of plants, animals, people, and so many things that seem to have no connection to each other at all. Yet remember, what it was like high above, when the world was just a beautiful glowing ball of blue and green. Now perhaps, think of your own life. Take a moment and go within. Are you facing a difficult crossroad? Have you been hurt by someone? Are you unsure of where life is taking you? Take a deep breath. If you can, be willing to know that the Universe is wise and compassionate. Zoom out on your life and see its entirety. If you can, be open to seeing that each person, each moment, and each experience that you had is connected and is contributing to your greater goal and your life’s destiny. If you can, be open to believing that there is more joy waiting for you. Be open to knowing whatever is occurring now in your life is there solely to bring you to reach that joy. If you are able, open your heart and mind to knowing that your life is like that tapestry, filled with various experiences, people, and moments that all add to the overall beauty that is your life.
I hope each one of us can be willing to know that we are cherished by the Creator. That everything that occurs in life is coming to us from a place of love. In this way, we can move through our lives trusting and knowing that even more blessings will come our way. We can know in our hearts that it is a wonderful and balanced world, after all.
Life is truly beautiful.
