Expecting faith to shield you from struggle is like believing the tooth fairy still exists. The role of faith is not to “save you” or heal you or keep you from harm. The role of faith is to remind you that everything is temporary and anything is actually possible.

I have met many people on my journey who have a difficult time with change, some of my closest people included. When something shifts in their life, they get stuck. They want things to go back to the way they were. It’s very hard to look towards the future when they have no idea what it looks like. They’re afraid and sometimes lost. Reminds me a little of the Israelites in the desert.

The truth is that change is challenging for most people. It takes mourning what was, being present to what is, and having faith in what will be. All three components at the same time can be overwhelming. But faith takes no energy. In fact, it could bring you the energy you need to deal with what is actually happening: change.

Faith is the experience you choose to have through change. You can choose to dwell in the mourning of what was (some mourning is healthy) or you can choose to be in what is. And while you’re sitting in the “what is,” you can choose to look at the future with despair or you can look at it with hope. Since we don’t know what the future looks like, we may as well look at it with hope, no?

Faith is not a magic cream or a sparkly wand. It doesn’t fix things (you have to do that) but what it does is give you the strength, the endurance, the spark, and the hope that you need to keep going! And one of the ways to access that faith is to remind yourself that 1) you have no control over the future and 2) you are always at choice.

I know that as we close up week 15 of this chaotic period in time, some of us are stuck. But maybe you’re not stuck. Maybe you’re just living in what is. Don’t look back now. The future is going to look very different and I have faith that we will usher ourselves into a more just, loving, and peaceful world. (It May take a little time).

Love you all!

Rabbi Gabi