A Psalm of David:
"The earth is the Lord's, and the fullness thereof, the world and all who dwell therein."
The whole world was created by and belongs to God.
Our lives, the lives of others and the world around us,
all the joys and all the struggles we experience,
everything, all there is,
are blessings from God.
In addition, the Psalm is teaching us that
we are not entitled to anything.
All of creation and everything we have,
the physical and spiritual,
are undeserving gifts.
It is our choice is to understand that and as a result be able to
experience a deep feeling of gratitude.
When God asked Abraham to offer up his son, Isaac,
he rose early in the morning to fulfill that command.
Abraham understood and taught that our lives and the lives of
others, including our children, do not belong to us.
Parents are the guardians charged and blessed with
the important responsibility of guiding and providing for them.
When they reach adulthood, and they choose
to live their own lives, walking through life more independently,
they become responsible for their own choices.
Isaac and Abraham travel together to the place God will show them,
both choosing to follow God's command.
Isaac listened to his father and
willingly and purposefully accompanied him up the mountain.
Somehow, they were both willing to follow that word of God
even if it would mean the death of Isaac.
At the last moment the angel of God intervened and
Isaac's life was spared.
May we be fortunate enough to recognize and internalize that everything is a gift.
May we feel great gratitude for all that we have and all that there is.
May we happily share our gifts with others.
May we share in the joys and struggles of others-
knowing that it is all divine blessing given with love.
Shabbat shalom
Much love
Elissa
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