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You Can Trust Man To Do His Job
By Pnina Usherovitz
We are all familiar with the idea that we should trust in G-d and not in man. Man can fail, die, be unable in any number of ways to stand by us no matter how much he might want to. G-d is forever and all knowing and all powerful. Best to put our trust in a sure thing.
The other day I had an epiphany. We can, indeed, trust in man to do his job.
The fundamental function for all other people in this world is not to keep us from feeling alone. The basic purpose for our relationships with friend and foe alike, is to help each of us to grow.
Sometimes they help us by holding our hand.
Sometimes they help us by letting us down.
Sometimes they help us by needing our assistance.
Sometimes they help us by annoyance, but always they are there to give us insight into what we need to know, and to do, and perhaps change about ourselves. They are there as well to give us the chance to help them.
There is no reason to get angry when people do not react as we wish them to. They are only doing their job. What we are thinking and how we are acting when they do their job is what we need to take notice of. The whys and hows of that is what we need to concentrate on and perhaps work to change. Our job in this world, or part of it, is to iron out our own imperfections. Although we usually prefer to do the laundry work on others, we need to face the fact that laundering them is not our place.
One clue to this understanding is when Adam's mate is called - "helper against him".(Genesis 2:18) Adam's mate is literally his other half, and even she cannot be counted on to always agree and make him comfortable. In fact, even within our own minds there are many conflicts.
So here is a big verbal hug of gratitude to all those who make me happy and an even bigger one to those whom I do not understand or who do not understand me. Thank you for doing your job. And another gigantic Thank You to our G-d who has made us and given us the chance to grow.
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from the November 2011 Edition of the Jewish Magazine
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