Hashem Can Do Anything

I was once watching ESPN as a reporter interviewed a football player about religion. 

“I don’t believe in God, because how can anyone be all knowing?” the football player said. “How can He be everywhere at once? How does He have the power to do anything? That doesn’t make sense.”

I thought, just because you can’t imagine Hashem and all his glory doesn’t mean He’s not there. I fully believe He is because I’ve experienced so many miracles. All I had to do was open my eyes and see them. 

Twelve years ago, my husband Daniel and I were living in a rent-controlled apartment in a fantastic area of Brooklyn. Every month, we paid our rent on time – always in cash, as our landlord’s office manager instructed us. 

One day, our landlord called to tell us that her office manager had stolen all the tenants’ cash and was going to jail. She had no record of us paying our rent for several months, even though we said we did. 

“I believe you, but do you have the receipts to prove it?” our landlord asked Daniel. 

“I have them somewhere…” Daniel’s voice trailed off.

“If you can’t find them, then add $500 a month to your rent so you can pay what you owe me. And if you ever find the receipts, I’ll send you your extra money back,” our landlord said.  

We panicked: how were we going to come up with all that money every month? 

After some initial doubt and worrying, we kicked into high gear. We made our living room into a bedroom and posted it up on Craigslist. We began renting it out as well as taking on more work. 

At the same time, we had a neighbor next door who was harassing and threatening us. I didn’t feel safe living in our place anymore, but we couldn’t afford to move to a different apartment in New York. 

We decided to try and leave for Los Angeles. There was only one problem: We needed a bunch of cash to get to the other side of the country and find a new place. We didn’t know how we would do it, so we prayed and prayed. 

And then, a few months into our new agreement with the landlord, I was cleaning our apartment. I looked inside the storage compartment of a fish tank Daniel had purchased and never used. As I rummaged through old trophies, unopened mail and dusty tank filters, I saw it: a piece of paper that looked like a receipt. I turned it over, and it said, “January 2012 rent: Paid in full.” 

I hurriedly pushed aside the other things and found another receipt. And then another. And another. Finally, I collected all the receipts for the back rent we owed. 

I called Daniel and told him the news. 

“Now we can go to L.A.!” I yelled with excitement. 

Our landlord kept to her word and sent us back all that extra money right away. We used it for our road trip across the country and to put down a deposit and first month’s rent on our apartment in L.A. 

Since then, I’ve experienced so many more momentous miracles. But I’ve also learned to see the miraculous in everyday life. 

Waking up every day is a miracle. Having a roof over my head and food in my stomach are miracles.  

It’s a miracle that I started believing in Hashem and converting to Judaism, which have given me endless meaning and fulfillment.  

You shouldn’t be afraid to ask for anything, no matter how impossible you think it is. You may not receive it immediately because the timing isn’t right, and it may not come in the form you expected. 

I’ve found that the more you let Hashem into your life, the more He will be there for you. You shouldn’t be afraid to ask for anything, no matter how impossible you think it is. You may not receive it immediately because the timing isn’t right, and it may not come in the form you expected.  You’ll also have to put in effort to get it.  

One thing is clear, though: Hashem has the power to do anything for you. You just have to open your heart to all the miraculous possibilities.

Kylie Ora Lobell is an award-winning writer and Community Editor of the Jewish Journal. You can find Kylie on X @KylieOraLobell or Instagram @KylieOraWriter.