Have you ever tried to change someone else? If your answer is yes (which it is probably for all of us), then you know it's a trap which only leaves you feeling disempowered and frustrated. What can be even more painful is watching someone you love go through a difficult process and knowing that you cannot take it away from them. We can walk this road of life together hand in hand. And yet, simultaneously, it is up to each one to take responsibility for our own growth and healing.
While this can be difficult to accept in times that someone we love is in great pain, it is also empowering to know that we each have the power to overcome our unique challenges. The circumstance in which we find ourselves is not an accident. Simply put -- if it comes to us, then we have what it takes to rise above it. We may need to get creative, ask for help, use all the tools in our box, go way outside of our comfort zone, and exhibit great patience and certainty, but eventually, we will evolve ourselves beyond what confronts us.
This revelation is what Moses comes to in this week's portion. He prays 515 times to the Creator, begging to enter Israel, exhibiting great perseverance and desire. But the Creator knew that if Moses entered, he would bring the Final Redemption, and the rest of the Israelites had not yet completed their process of correction. The message is that we each need the chance to earn our own way. It’s such a powerful lesson: Everybody has their personal road to take in this life, you can't take it for them.
And yet even when we know this intellectually, sometimes we reject our process. Our Ego wants to say, "Hey, why do I have to face this now? Haven't I done enough good? What about all that sharing I did?" Because of our past efforts, we feel entitled to have things go our way, and when they don't, we get upset or feel victimized. But look at Moses! He was a righteous soul with loads of merit behind him and yet he never felt entitled. There he was pleading! 515 times, to be exact!
What Moses knew is something that the Buddha also said, "What matters most is what we do today." When we realize that each moment gives us an opportunity to reach for and connect to the power of our soul, then in the midst of every challenge, we can bring ourselves into an empowered consciousness. We can say, "Thank you God, for giving me the ability to become more than I am, to make an effort and earn my Light."
This week, the Universe provides us with a loving wake up call, a reminder that through the Light we can overcome. Our difficulties are not punishments, but doorways through which we bring ourselves closer to that Greater Force.
Wishing you a blessed week,
Karen
