By Rabbi Mark Borovitz
As I sit on the beach at Siesta Key in Sarasota, Florida, I am struck by the beauty of Creation. My mind wanders, as it usually does, and I am caught up in the Awe, Wonder and beauty of life and living. Rabbi Heschel's admonishment to not take anything for granted rings in my ears and reverberates in my soul and being! While the sea and the beach don't need redemption as they are just as they are supposed to be, I am thinking of what do I need to do to live as “I am supposed to?”
I am thinking of the ways that I still need to change in order to redeem me so I live as the ocean and nature. This week I am reminded that I too often do things and just stay busy. I can rationalize my actions as important and I know that I stay busy as a way of distraction. I need to take time just to be at oneness with God, family, community and me! This is the truest form of redemption for me. I make my amends and change many of my behaviors, yet, being okay with just being seems to elude me.
I realize, as I write this, that I look for problems, I get mad at others, and I feel under appreciated in order to not just be. What a waste and I am sad at this realization. Yet, life calls and I am busy, my mind tells me. I am of service and fulfill my own unique purpose and use my gifts when I am ” in action!” Yet, sitting with my wife on the beach, having a meal, having time with my 101 year old mother in law, talking to my mother, etc., is not enough so I distract myself with technology, etc. I am not welcoming the world, I am trying to control my world. I am not really letting each of these people and more know how much they matter.
The solution? I, and maybe you, have to be present wherever we are. I commit to let people know when I need to attend to something else, rather than just ignore them. I commit to take time just to be, so I can do and be much more and better. I will not play games when talking to others, I will pay attention to myself and when I begin to drift, I will look for and welcome God back into the space I am in. In this way, I will constantly be working on redeeming myself more, one interaction at a time!
