Eggs and Veggies

His reaction was direct and prompt: he started to cry. It’s never a pleasant experience to watch one’s child cry. It was more painful to see him suffer than it was for him to feel bad over the empty space where his toy used to be. To learn this lesson on his terms, he had to endure the tribulations involved in learning about the consequences associated with choices.

 

Both of our sorrows instantly transformed itself into joy the moment he “rediscovered” the merits of a balanced breakfast. He came to the conclusion that fun and eggs and veggies outweighed chocolate and boredom. I was so happy to see him grow. After a difficult moment, his temporary anguish began to reap permanent benefits.

 

This must be how our Father in Heaven feels about His children.

 

Hashem never wants to hurt us, He only wants good for us. Our challenge is to constantly remember that we are created beings. We live in a created world. On our own, we don’t know the exact rules for how to operate in this world, nor do we have the knowledge on how to best optimize our own being.

 

That’s why Hashem gave us the instruction manual on how we can make the most of the world He created. The Hebrew word for instruction is Torah.

 

Like children, we want to do what feels good. Our life goals center around how we can achieve financial, social, and material success. The rules mankind arbitrarily creates actively encourage our man made objectives.

 

But what if this isn’t the primary purpose in life? What if the expectations we are held to by our immediate circle contradict the Divine expectations Hashem has for us? The consequences of what we choose for ourselves can give us joy today, and even in the next world – but the real challenges we wind up neglecting deny us the true joys that we can feel at every moment.

 

Man’s world may allow us to feel satisfied with chocolate and diet coke, but our Father loves us so much more. He wants more from us only because He wants more for us. He won’t let us be happy in this limited existence if we pay for it with all that we stand to miss out on when it really counts.

 

When our chosen path is fraught with severe trials and tribulations, could Hashem be guiding us to a better place? When we make a big decision on a certain career path, a potential life partner, or what we feel is an acceptable level of daily learning – and things work out really badly for us, could Hashem be giving us a Divine nudge?

 

When I was 23, I got my first job on Wall Street. A moment after the excitement of a big job and good money wore off, I felt a small void growing inside me. I didn’t care. I figured that if I made enough money the void would be filled. Five years and four jobs later I got a taste of success. I landed a job with a hot corporate title and my very own six figure income.

 

As far as I was concerned my mission in this world was complete. From that moment on, I should never feel void or pain again.

 

What a shock it was to realize the emptiness I had felt in my first job didn’t go away. In fact it had intensified. It felt like no matter how much money I made – the feeling would never go away. No success, pay grade, or promotion could give me what I was looking for in life.

 

I chose the wrong path. Hashem, in His compassion, made sure I knew it.

 

Even though what I wanted was sensible, Hashem knew that I could not find real joy in what I was doing. He knew that I could not fulfill my mission in this world from where I was at the time. For my welfare, He put roadblocks in front of my path, giving me the opportunity to realize the potential of the being He gave me.

 

 Out of love, Hashem blesses each of our choices with all sorts of consequences.

 

Hashem knows how great the Next World is. He knows that the true value of a mitzvah is far greater than anything we can perceive in this finite existence. We will find out how great these Divine deeds really are only once we are in a position where we can no longer perform them. At that time, we will be so grateful to Hashem for making sure we performed the mission we were created to do while we still had the opportunity to do it.

 

A toddler crying over a lost toy has the same potential as the twenty-something that discovers that the six figure income is not the answer to all of life’s dilemmas.

 

It’s in this basic Divine Truth:

 

Emuna starts with the acceptance that Hashem is coming from a much better place than we are and His greatest joy is to take us there.

 

From that point on, all of life’s moments become much sweeter. And healthier. Like eggs and veggies.