I dreamt that I went to Heaven and an angel was showing me around. We walked side-by-side inside a large workroom filled with angels.
My angel guide stopped in front of the first section and said, "This is the Receiving Section. Here, all petitions to Hashem said in prayer are received." I looked around in this area, and it was terribly busy with so many angels sorting out petitions written on voluminous paper sheets and scraps from people all over the world.
Then we moved on down a long corridor until we reached the second section. The angel then said to me, "This is the Packaging and Delivery Section. Here, the graces and blessings the people asked for are processed and delivered to the living persons who asked for them." I noticed again how busy it was there. There were many angels working hard at that station, since so many blessings had been requested and were being packaged for delivery to Earth.
Finally at the farthest end of the long corridor we stopped at the door of a very small station. To my great surprise, only one angel was seated there, idly doing nothing. "This is the Acknowledgment Section," my angel friend quietly admitted to me. He seemed embarrassed.
"How is it that? There's no work going on here?" I asked.
"So sad," the angel sighed. "After people receive the blessings that they asked for, very few send back acknowledgments.
"How does one acknowledge HaShem's blessings?" I asked.
"Simple," the angel answered. "Just say, 'Thank you, Hashem.'
"What blessings should they acknowledge?" I asked.
"If you have food in the refrigerator, clothes on your back, a roof overhead and a place to sleep ... you are richer than 75% of this world.
"If you have money in the bank, in your wallet, and spare change in a dish, you are among the top 8% of the world's wealthy.
"And if you get this on your own computer, you are part of the 1% in the world who has that opportunity.
"Also .....If you woke up this morning with more health than illness ...... you are more blessed than the many who will not even survive this day.
"If you have never experienced the fear in battle, the loneliness of imprisonment, the agony of torture, or the pangs of starvation ... you are ahead of 700 million people in the world.
"If you can attend a shul meeting without fear of harassment, arrest, torture or death ... you are envied by, and more blessed than, three billion people in the world.
"If your parents are still alive and still married, you are very rare.
"If you can hold your head up and smile, you are not the norm, you are unique to all those in doubt and despair."
Ok, what now? How can I start?
If you can read this message, you just received a double blessing in that someone was thinking of you as very special and you are more blessed than over two billion people in the world who cannot read at all. Have a good day, count your blessings, and if you want, pass this along to remind everyone else how blessed we all are.
"Attn: Acknowledge Dept.: Thank You Hashem!
"Thank you Hashem, for giving me the ability to share this message and for giving me so many wonderful people to share it with."
4 comments:
Thanks, tp... I really needed to read this. I have been having a meltdown the last two dys over something really stupid and now, after reading this, I really should be thanking G@d for even having the opportunity to have a meltdown over something so stupid!
Bless you...
Thanks for this...I'm in the same boat with RCJ, I've had a really bad couple of days and when I think about it, the reasons are so trivial and I should be thankful for all of the wonderful things in my life.
Just last night my little one was playing outside and I saw her looking at the trees and I heard her say, "Thank you HaShem for the beautiful trees." I could certainly learn a lesson from her.
The hard part is to remember this so-meaningful message when you're feeling angry, sad, resentful, or hurt. But that's when you need it the most.
Thanks for sharing it.
Mia: I've never seen this before. It's good if it circulates in the blogosphere -- a strong message lies behind it.
RCJ: Wow, to think this inspired a post over on your blog...
Oriyenta: Your daughter certainly has the right ideas.
Elie: Thanks for adding your thoughts. You are certainly "a good man" if you are able to, in spite of the hand that was dealt to you and your family not all that long ago, nonetheless say, "Thank you, Hashem."
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