Every Time You Feel Like Complaining
We are on a family trip to the North of Israel. My daughter and I were hoping to get a head start on our vacation so we left home at 2:20 PM and got here (after taking 5 buses, one of which broke down mid-trip) at 9:30 PM.
My husband, by contrast. left home at 7 pm with a bunch of other kids and arrived here at 10 PM.
I’m worn out and have a head ache. But I’m (working hard on) feeling gratitude for the scenic route we took today. For the new sites and cool places we wouldn’t have seen if our path had been more direct and less round-about.
Which makes me think about all the times my life has been more complicated than I would have wanted it to be. The things that went wrong. At times even awfully wrong. And looking back now, years later, I can see the blessings in the scenic route I’ve often taken in my life.
Complaints a distant memory. Just Thank You.
Saying thank you puts everything in perspective. When you complain, that is the only part of the picture you see. When you start saying thank you the lens widens.
Rabbanit Yemima brought from Rabbanit Kook (I think) the importance of saying thank you before asking for something from Hashem. This gives you a better perspective on what you have and what you need. That can change your mood as well as your tefillot.
WONDERFUL!
My quote of the week, which fits this article is: Life doesn’t happen TO you, life happens FOR you.