One of the most difficult things to do in life today is give up our personal control over the world around us. Everything we do today is in one-way-or-another an attempt to control our surroundings, outcomes, relationships, business deals, vehicles, the environment, the Government, our finances, our children, our spouses, etc.
In a constant race to control everything around us, we often miss our opportunity to appreciate that which we already have as a result of all this labor. How depressing it is to realize you have reached the end of a specific experience, or life itself, and yet were so busy trying to control everything around you, that you never set aside any time to fully use, or enjoy the things you had working so hard to control and create. Anyone that has organized a wedding, gone to prom, or attended college, knows this mistake very well.
One of the themes of Shabbat, and faith in general, is taking the time (as G-d did) to stop and appreciate what we have created during the past week. Although we as humans have made many great strides in being able to effectuate the world around us (electricity, cars, planes, phones, stoves, fire,…) we are still just humans, and thus greatly limited. No matter how hard we work to try to control our surroundings, our great towers and expansive empires can crumble in an instant!
Even the most powerful human is limited. He or she cannot control everything, all the time. Thus, time must be taken to appreciate what we can control and have created, and what we cannot. At all times we should trust in G-d, who truly has control of all of Creation.
An article discussing this concept further can be found below the fold.
For those Jews who celebrate the precious gift, have a purposeful Shabbat. To those who do not, have a incredible weekend.
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