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When GOD closes a door... THIS is what it means

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Rabbi Efrem Goldberg avatar
Rabbi Efrem Goldberg

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It's okay to be anxious there. If you're not anxious, check if you're alive rather than be a ther thermometer who simply reports how we feel. What gives us access to control the thermostat? If you're fearless, you're in danger of losing your life. If you're fearless, if you go up and try to take a picture, a selfie with a bear in Montana, you're a Dearb gober is a continuation of the previous email. me and my husband are expecting. Thank God I feel so grateful, especially after the miscarriage. I really feel like Hashem answered all my tilos. But I can't help but also feel anxious and I'll tell you why. My first pregnancy with my daughter was a roller coaster. At our anatomy scan, we received the news that my daughter had a very poor prognosis. They gave us all the worst outcomes. I started going to the high-risisk doctor twice a week. They prepared me to deliver as early as 26 weeks. Hashem proved them all wrong and I ended up making it to 37 weeks. My daughter was only three pounds. The doctor told us she was the smallest 37 weaker he'd ever seen. Hashem, she was a total complete miracle, and I thank Hashem every day. She's now a thriving, healthy toddler living her best life, and we're so incredibly grateful. My anatomy scan for this pregnancy is coming up this weekend. And although I keep telling myself everything will be okay, and my daughter's living proof that doctors can be wrong. I need to have a nash. I can't help but feel scared and anxious. I tried ignoring my feelings of fear and distracting myself, telling myself again and again that I need a muna and it's wrong to feel anxious. But then I realized something very important and I changed my thinking. Your sh have helped me internalize that having amuna does not mean you should ignore your feelings of fear. For me right now amuna means that I'm anxious but I know that Hashem is holding my hand through it all and that I'm not alone. And that in itself provides me with so much comfort. My feeling of anxiety have not gone away and I'm not ignoring them. Having amuna means that I am where I meant to be. So I embracing my anxious thoughts but also thinking positively at the same time. And yes, you can do both. Thank you for the physic. looking forward to sharing good news hashem. So again I like this also because this is a theme that we keep coming back to don't take away our humanity. They don't ask you to be a robot. They don't demand of you to deny or to suppress your feelings and mean you are human and we have human feelings and emotions and reactions. But do is they empower us to be the thermostat not the thermometer. That's what do I'll continue that analogy. You know in a scholar public place often the thermostat is under lock and key who has access but you give it to the highest bidder >> sh the largest donation you get to control the temperature in the rand sanctuary we'll add it to the shul dinner auction list controlling the thermostat but it's a you know it's a it's a privilege who gets access to the thermostat today it's not under a literal lock and key today who has the app with the password to virtually control the temperature. Amuna and give us the key to our thermometer to our thermostat rather than just be a thermometer who reports this is how I feel. I can't change it. I can't control it. I'm anxious. I'm scared. I'm worried. I'm unhappy. I'm miserable. Rather than be a ther thermometer who simply reports how we feel. What gives us access to control the thermostat? But it begins by realizing I'm cold or you know it's very hot in here. The thermostat begins with recognizing I'm not comfortable with the temperature. I want to change the thermostat. It's okay to be anxious. There are if you're not anxious check if you're alive. There are situations in life that you need to be anxious. We spoke about this last week or two weeks ago. The most dangerous thing are the children who are fearless. Right? We spoke about the toons, the tourist morons who hang on the edge of the cliff. If you're fearless, you're in danger of losing your life. If you're fearless, if you go up and try to take a picture, a selfie with a bear in Montana, you're a You're a You're a tourist a toan. And there's no shortage of them. Fear is very healthy. And don't mean don't have fear. They mean regulate it, control it, be in charge of it. and give us the key and the password to be able to figure it out and to be able to navigate it. So, I love that email. You're going for a scan and previously you had challenges. You wouldn't be alive if you weren't a little bit anxious, a little nervous, a little excited to find out and to see what Hashem has in store on that scan. That's healthy. That's called being alive. Now, what do you do with it? Do you say it to? Do you lean into it with a Do you recognize and embrace your place that Hashem is with you in that scan?