Word Prompt – RAIN – Sarah Pachter

Imagine standing in the rain with an 8-ounce cup. No matter how long you stand there, your cup can only hold 8 ounces. The rain may be pouring, but how much you receive depends on the size of your vessel.

The only way to hold more is to have a bigger cup.

All blessings come from Hashem, but how much blessing we can hold depends on the size of our vessel – and that size is up to us.

We expand our vessel through Torah, mitzvot, and gratitude. The bigger our vessel, the more we can receive.

I think about this with my children. One of the few things they all enjoy is going to the beach. But sometimes, after a beautiful afternoon, they climb into the car complaining:

“I’m hot!”

“There’s sand on my feet!”

“Mommy! She’s touching me!”

I think to myself, they aren’t big enough to appreciate this.

But other times, they climb into the car and say together, “Thank you, Mommy!”

And suddenly, I’m dreaming about where else I can take them – the jumping facility, pottery painting, the possibilities are endless.

The more gratitude they show, the more I want to give them.

Perhaps our relationship with Hashem works the same way. When we express gratitude, we expand our vessel. We become capable of receiving – and appreciating – even more of the blessings He sends our way.

So let the rain pour.

Wishing us all a bigger vessel.