A Taste of Heaven
Emuna has changed the lives of Candy and Ray from Alabama. Miracles have turned into the natural course of events in their lives. Everything started with the books and the CDs…
Editor’s note: Candy and her husband Ray Wilson from the “Emuna State” of Alabama became Noahides several years ago and are long-time readers of Breslev Israel who have seen major miracles in their lives.
I don’t know where the time goes, it seems to pass so fast. These past few months have been back to back tests for us. No sooner did we get through one test, when another test was upon us. Before I say anything else, I want to thank Breslev Israel so much for all the CDs and books. Thank you!!!!
This summer, we were blessed with our 9 year old granddaughter May, spending 2 weeks with us. She asked me to give you the following message:
“Tell Breslev Israel that I love this book!”
She was referring to Little Nachman.
During her visit with us, a huge emuna test came……
May was very excited about going to summer camp after her visit here. She had worked hard last spring, selling cookies to earn a free trip to camp. Then I got a phone call from her mother……….she said that May might not be able to go to camp. Prior to visiting us, May had spent a week with some other people. Unknown at the time, the child she was visiting was infected with head lice. She asked that I keep watch for any signs that May had them. I got off the phone and went straight to Hashem. If she had caught it, G-d forbid, that would mean no camp for her and an infected house for us.
Hashem is amazing, he had completely protected her from that horrible lice!!!!! As it turned out, every child that had been there, except May, came down with an infestation of the lice. As far as I see it, that was a miracle. I’m still thanking Him for that!
Big emuna test with income and a taste of beyond
Ray had not been able to find work since closing his shop in Nov 07. I had come to the conclusion that Hashem wanted him to manage my online/mail order business. Wrong conclusion…
Sales started to drop. When there wasn’t enough money for our monthly expenses (which is very low with our lifestyle), I knew Hashem was sending us a message. Obviously, we were not depending on Him 100%. Over the years we had to liquidate every asset that we owned, except for one. We had been hanging on to a small piece of property in Tuscaloosa. I then realized that I had seen that property as a back-up emergency asset. It had to go. But how and where, in this economy, would we be able to sell a piece of real estate? Hashem to the rescue……
Out of the blue, a woman phoned and asked if we’d be interested in selling that property to her! So we sold it. It was a small piece of property and brought a modest price. Soon that money was gone and we were back to square one.
Things did not “look” good. My health was suffering because of the advanced stages of tissue destruction from a former illness. I had entered levels of pain that was as severe as in the beginning, when the doctor had made the mistake in medication. The pain was too loud. Yes, pain is loud, it drowns out your thoughts making it very difficult to concentrate and pray.
One day the pain was unlike anything I had ever experienced. My blood pressure was dropping and Ray had to help me to lie down fast before I passed out. I have my emergency playlist of Guy Tzvi nigguns ready for just such occasions. The music started to play and suddenly the pain was gone and I was somewhere else.
I was very aware of my surroundings, it was not like a dream. I was somewhere else in a beautiful place that was surrounded by mountains. Everything was green (foliage). I couldn’t help but notice how the climate felt perfect, not hot, not cold, not humid. There was someone standing behind me, I could hear his voice over my right shoulder.
I heard him tell me that I could have this now, or go back and have an opportunity to go to a higher level, it was my choice. Level? I don’t think I know what that means, but that’s what I heard, very clearly. I chose to go back. Suddenly, I could see myself laying there on the bed. I had to call out to Hashem, asking Him to help me back in. He did and I awoke. I was back in stark reality with all the physical pain back.
Ray was standing there and I told him was happened. I also told him that there is a job waiting for him. I don’t know how I knew that, I just knew it. The next Monday, Ray went to Tuscaloosa job hunting. He didn’t have to look very far. That morning he phoned me and said he starts work the next day as General Manager of a shop in Tuscaloosa.
The job doesn’t pay much, a fraction of what that job position normally pays. But after listening to Rabbi Lazer’s CDs over and over again, we get it. Income comes from Hashem, not the job. Therefore, Hashem must have a purpose for placing Ray there.
Leaky roof and computer crashes
Suddenly, for no obvious reason, there was water pouring into the office. Ray looked and couldn’t find any problem area of how or why it is leaking. And we can’t find a roofer willing to come out here to take a look at it. With each rainfall, the ceiling and walls are further damaged, meaning a larger area that will have to be repaired after the roof is fixed. I was praying and asking Hashem to please make His message to me clear, with understanding. Suddenly I the CD when Rabbi Lazer told about the drill coming through his office from the apartment next door. It was like a light bulb turned on! I was back on my feet in the office, able to work because the tissue destruction had slowed down. Hashem was taking it out on the building instead of what I deserved!!! Wow, wow, wow!!! Once again, Hashem has rescued me from the doctors’ prognosis. This is an ongoing lesson and test for me, but it sure is comforting knowing that Hashem is in control and is guiding the whole thing.
On to the computer issue – My work computer had been giving me error messages on boot-up, I knew I needed to get everything backed up and our other computer ready in the event that I had to switch over and use it for work. So I got the backup pc ready, updating drivers, etc. No sooner had I finished that was when it had a major crash. I had to do a complete reformat, wiping out everything and starting over. Finished the reformatting and immediately thereafter my work PC wouldn’t boot. Hardware failure was the dreaded black screen message. I so much needed Hashem to boot that computer, I hadn’t finished all the backup to the other PC because of the crash/reformatting issue. Thank G-d, He answered my prayer. It booted but the sound card doesn’t work properly and I can’t work on that computer without Yosef Karduner or Guy Tzvi music. So today, I will be putting the music on the backup PC and praying that Hashem keeps that one running.
Like I said, lots of tests and lots of lessons. I can’t help but think that Hashem is preparing us for something. In a way it reminds me of my son’s karate tournament training days. Two weeks before a tournament his instructors would put him through intense training. Other mothers would ask me why they were being so hard on my son. Their children had not been in karate very long and they weren’t aware of training and preparation for tournaments. I had to explain to them that yes, the instructors liked my son, he was one of their favorite students. It was because they did care about him, that was the reason they put him through such tough training. By the way, I encouraged my son to hang in there and after 4 years he received his black belt along with a trophy for “best black belt test ever in the history of the school”. I recognize intense training when I see it. How much more so will I hang in there with these tests and training that Hashem is giving me!
We pray that all our wonderful Breslever friends and rabbis have a blessed trip to Uman this year. I’m going to be re-reading the book about Reb Noson,
Through Fire and Water. All the work he did on getting Rebbe Nachman’s teachings published, all the tests he went through, his determination, never giving up, is absolutely amazing. It brings (happy) tears to my eyes when I think about it.
There aren’t words to express how much we appreciate Breslev Israel and Breslev.com.
Have a wonderful Rosh Hashanah!
Candy and Ray
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