One of our greatest challenges as modern religious Liberal Jews is to find ways
of bringing God into our daily lives. It's difficult even on special
holidays or at services to do this. While living our hectic lives, it's
practically impossible. Yet there are ways. I love the following story:
A little boy wanted to meet God. He knew it was a long trip to where God lived,
so he packed his suitcase with Twinkies and a six pack of root beer, and he
started his journey. When he had gone about three blocks, he met an
old woman. She was sitting by the Court House just staring at the grass. The boy
sat down next to her and opened his suitcase. He was about to take a drink
from his root beer when he noticed that the old lady looked hungry, so he
offered her a Twinkie. She gratefully accepted it and smiled at him. Her smile
was so pretty that the boy wanted to see it again, so he offered her a root
beer. Again, she smiled at him. The boy was delighted! They sat
there all afternoon eating smiling, but they never said a word. As it grew
dark, the boy realized how tired he was and he got up to leave, but before he
had gone more than a few steps, he turned around, ran back to the old woman, and
gave her a hug. She gave him her biggest smile ever.
When the boy opened the door to his own house a short time later, his mother was
surprised by the look of joy on his face. She asked him, "What did you do
today that made you so happy?"
He replied, "I had lunch with God." But before his mother could
respond, he added, "You know what? She's got the most beautiful smile I've
ever seen!"
Meanwhile, the old woman, also radiant with joy, returned to her home. Her
son was stunned by the look of peace on her face and he asked, "Mother,
what did you do today that made you so happy?" She replied, "I ate
Twinkies in the park with God." However, before her son
responded, she added, "You know, He's much younger than I expected."
Too often we underestimate the power of a touch, a smile, a kind word, a
listening ear, an honest compliment, or the smallest act of caring, all of
which have the potential to turn a life around. People come into our lives for a
reason, a season, or a lifetime. Embrace all equally. Our reaching out
touches and changes us more than it changes the ones we touch. The first
step to bringing God into our daily lives is to see God in others. May we
become a congregation famous for such caring outreach!
