Everything given us is for the best. Yet some of us forget this when we should know better.
I recently moved to another state and needed to see an ophthalmologist. My brother and sister-in-law have been living in that state for 10 years, and my brother’s wife said she would make an appointment for me.
I sometimes tell people I believe in miracles, because when I am worried about something, I need to feel that Hashem can help me through anything. Recently, my sister-in-law told me about some events that she attributed to Divine Intervention happening to members of her family and, indeed, to herself.
Well, the time of the eye doctor’s appointment was approaching and my sister-ion-law, who was driving me there, came to an abrupt stop in traffic. She could not even “inch” the car along. Cars were simply not moving. I never saw anything like it. Finally, we both realized that we were already almost an hour late, and we still had some more traveling to do. In total disgust, my sister-in-law picked up her cell phone, called the doctor’s office and was told to come in anyway.
I was very upset, but tried not to show it. What else could go wrong? Finally traffic started to move, and when my sister-in-law finally parked her car in the parking lot by the doctor’s office, she told me I was going to see an optician (one who fills eyeglass prescriptions) not an ophthalmologist (a medical specialist for eye problems). I could not believe my ears. Here I was in a new state, taking medication for eye problem, and I was told minutes before that who I thought was an eye doctor, was not an eye doctor at all. I told my sister-in-law this and she, not the most patient of people, snapped back that most doctors were off that week as it was the end of December. Then she said the one thing I hold on to: “What do you want – a miracle?” I tried to make sense of this troublesome day and was wondering how I could contend with all of this.
Finally, we were seated, waiting to be seen, when there was a knock at the door. In came a nurse, who asked me if I minded seeing the ophthalmologist – the one person I never expected to see that day. I felt that she was an angel, and I jubilantly answered that I would love to see him.
We were informed that the ophthalmologist had just come in, unexpectedly. The nurse went on to say that our being delayed an hour due to the traffic tie-up, caused us to arrive at the same time as the ophthalmologist, who was not due to come in at all that day. When the nurse left the room, I said to my sister-in-law that we had just experienced a miracle, and she agreed. (Later on, she asked me to repeat the story to her husband.)
A couple of months later, I was in shul for a Purim party. In the Megillah, there is no mention of Hashem, but we know that Hashem was absolutely there, working hidden miracles. At the party, I saw the back of someone who seemed familiar. I went over to see who it was. Indeed, it was the ophthalmologist I had gone to. I was very happy to compliment him on his unique costume. He was dressed as a doctor.