You’re Still Standing

Life Sucks. 

Things are going wrong. 

You can never quite catch a break. 

You try, and you try, and you try again. You struggle to make things work. You struggle to make ends meet. 

But you haven’t given up, though if we are being honest, there are times when you feel like it. 

Despite it all, you’re still here. You show up every day. You give it your best. Then question yourself whether it was really your best. 

You go to bed, and tomorrow it is all the same. 

What a life to give. 

But it is the life you are living. And the fact that you are here to live it, just means that your mission here is not yet done. There is more for you to do. 

There is more you are meant to accomplish. 

There is a reason for you being here on this eart. 

As a jew, when I wake up every morning I say a prayer known as the Modeh Ani prayer. It is a prayer of gratitude to G-d, thanking Him for returning my soul to me. Not in the “Thank you for not killing me” type of way. 

Rather, in the way of “Thank you for entrusting me another day with one of your most prized possessions, a pure soul.”

If that’s not the confidence boost you need at the beginning of the day I don’t know what else would be. But it goes beyond that. 

Just look at the journey of the Israelites. They’re freed from slavery and certain death through numerous miracles. They’re given the Torah (Bible). They complain non-stop. They travel the desert for 40 years and complain the entire time. Then as they’re getting ready to enter the land of Israel, the promised land, G-d lays out for them all the curses and bad things that’ll happen if they don’t follow his word. 

Directly following that, Moses addresses the Jewish people and says, “You are standing here today…”

What does that mean?

What Moses is telling the people is that “Though you have already screwed up royally, time and time again, you’re still here. Though you have complained and rebelled against G-d, you’re still here. Though you have just heard all the bad things that will happen to you if you stray, you’re still here.”

The message is clear. Despite all the bad that has happened, and all the bad that could happen. YOU ARE STILL HERE. 

And on top of that G-d is with you. 

So next time you’re feeling down about all the things that have gone wrong or aren’t going right, and all the things that could possibly go wrong. Remember one thing. 

Today you are standing. 

You are still here. 

And G-d is with you.