We live our days by creating schedules. What time should we wake up, pray, eat, get to work or school? Most of our time is consumed by “have to do” errands, meetings, and so on. We usually come home so tired that we just go through the motions of some small talk and our nightly routine.
Where is G-d in this busy day? Is He in shul? In our prayers? Or perhaps in a regular shiur we attend? Where does Hashem appear throughout our day?
On the High Holidays, we feel the awe of G-d. Most of the time, as Jews, we do think of G-d every now and then. This might sound a bit harsh or shocking. But it’s true. We are so used to going through our routine, habits, and everyday life activities that we usually forget about who’s running the show.
Of course everyone’s days vary. It can be morning services, daily shiur, grocery run, drop off of the kids, work or school, coffee break, lunch, meetings, afternoon services, evening services, some errands, home, dinner, kisses to all members of the house, shower, and off to bed. But where is G-d? Between which activities on our very busy day do we allow Hashem in? At which point are we truly connected to our Father in Heaven? Do we include Hashem in our daily activities? Our thoughts? Our feelings? Our joys?
Is G-d our best friend? Do we think of Him first before anyone else? Are we excited to tell Hashem something good that happened to us, to say thank you for all He does for us? Sad to say, most of us tend to our daily agendas without usually even giving G-d a second thought. How do you think Hashem feels? He gives life to the whole universe, to us and to our families. We are so used to living as we do that we forget the most important part of all, and that is G-d.
When you wake up and you say “Mode Ani,” stop for just one second and think or say, “Hello, G-d. I’m so glad I’m here – thanks.” When you make a blessing over food, stop again for a second and say thank you in your own words or thoughts. Connect. Make G-d a real part of your day. The things that we have gotten used to which are called routine are truly important and vital to us in creating a stable life for ourselves and our families. But the few seconds we stop before each and every thing that we do makes Hashem part of our lives.
When you love someone and he or she loves you back, you feel great – you feel alive. When you spend time together with your loved ones, you feel the love between each other. When you’re apart, you call them to tell them things that happened to you. You think about them frequently and wonder what they are doing and if they are well. This is the way we act with the people we love and who are close to us.
Make Hashem your closest friend, your best friend. At first this might seem a bit extreme and unnecessary. After all, you may say, I’m doing all I am supposed to, I’m a good person and a good Jew. But that’s just the point. We get so used to doing all we have to do that we forget to connect. We act like robots. Maybe we don’t move like robots technically, but in our actions and thoughts we are truly acting very mechanical.
Next time you enter shul, say a few words in your heart to Hashem before you even open the prayer book. The more we reach out to G-d with a desire to be connected, the more we will feel alive and well. If we have a bad Internet connection and our phones aren’t reacting, it is very frustrating and we can’t accomplish what we need to do. Our bodies can function in perfect health and yet we can wake up and feel absolutely lousy emotionally. We sometimes use the expression, “I woke up on the wrong side of the bed,” even if physically we are in mint health. That is when we need to feel connected to Hashem and not just to our bodies.
Make every day a connected day. When we don’t stop and think of G-d, then He stops us in so many different ways, because he loves us and wants us to connect to him. Keep Hashem with you 24/7 by thinking of Him in your regular activities. These few seconds when you stop during your day will lighten up your whole existence. It will be like driving and hitting only green lights or finding no line at the bank or post office.
Doing this truly adds happiness to your life. By living and staying connected to G-d all the time, you will never feel alone; you will always feel that no matter what you need, all you have to do is stop and call out His name and He will be right there waiting for you. If your child or spouse calls you and your neighbor calls you at the same time, instinctively who will you hear first? Your loved ones, because it is with them that you are constantly speaking and it is them whom you love so much. Let’s make our connection with Hashem that close so that we will hear Him first just as He hears us at all times.