The Wheelbarrow

After many years in the workforce, subjecting myself to this abuse and that abuse from several employers along the way, I decided that at age 52 with Hashem’s help and the emotional support from my wife, I was going to turn a dream into reality. I would become my own boss and turn a hobby into self-employment!

I took all my skills from years of Aquarium keeping, learned the latest technology, and scraped up all the startup money I could…  After 6 months, my customer base was building slowly, and I had exhausted all my funds! I decided that to supplement I was going to start a 2nd business! Crazy, right? But I had spent many years as an apprentice at a Violin Shop, so I decided to open up my own Violin Shop, specializing in repairs and sales. I figured that while one venture is building, I can create work with the other as well.

It is very scary becoming your own Boss. It takes a lot of prayer and serious Emuna!  I prayed to Hashem, “Hashem, these are Your companies, I am working for You, I am just the C.E.O.! Please if this is the right thing for me, let me be successful, so I can have a big chunk of money for maaser (tithe)! Let me give You all my worries, so I don’t have to take them upon myself!”

The Evil Inclination does not want anyone to be stress free and have large amounts of Emuna and Bitachon (trust)! I started questioning my direction, and freaking out about the unpaid bills, and started investigating part- time supplemental work, while my businesses grew! I even contemplated returning to a bakery I used to manage, since I was called by my ex-boss to return. (On a side note, years ago the boss refused to allow me to go to Uman, and I quit on the spot!)

Then Hashem sent me a parable…

Once there was a poor Yid who had no money or food. A man approached him with a huge gift – a wheelbarrow full of copper! The Yid was so excited. He could now sell the copper, get food and lodging, and have some money left over. As he was pushing this heavy wheelbarrow, another man approached him and said, “My friend, this is your lucky day. Just a 2 mile walk further down, there is an entire pile of diamonds waiting for you with your name on it!” The Yid could not believe it. He emptied his wheelbarrow of the copper and set off on the 2 mile journey.

Well, half way there, the Yetzer Hara (evil inclination) started filling his mind with negative thoughts. What if the diamonds were not waiting for him –  he just threw away any chance of income by discarding the copper. Panic set in! The Yid turned around, walked a mile back and retrieved his copper, leaving the unseen riches for the sure thing of the small amount he would receive from the copper!

That story really hit home. How could I think of going backwards, even on a part time basis! I need to continue the journey! My diamonds are waiting for me, and thank G-D, my vessel to carry them has been cleaned and ready for filling! As soon as I made this decision, my phone rang with two new orders for me to fill! Thank You, Hashem!

P.S. For an amazing Violin, check out Ludwick’s House of Violin