That Which I Cannot Do For Myself…

There is a wonderful prayer that appears in the Big Book of Alcoholics Anonymous that asks that G-d do for us what we cannot do for ourselves. We are limited beings and on our own our abilities are limited, but G-d is an infinite G-d and when we connect with G-d we are connecting to the infinite.

A story is told that on one occasion bandits were pursuing the great Baal Shem Tov. Try as they might, they were unable to catch up with him. They began walking fast while the Baal Shem Tov maintained his pace, yet they did not catch up with him. The bandits began running to overtake the holy man, yet to no avail. It is then that they realized that the man they were trying to harm was a holy man and G-d was doing for him what he could not do for himself. In fact, the Baal Shem Tov was known to have said that he did not rely on incantations or other means of achieving salvation, but instead opted to rely solely on the good grace of G-d.

We should learn from the Baal Shem Tov that although we as individuals have many limitations, G-d is limitless and defies limitation and once we rely on G-d, he can do for us what we were previously unable to do for ourselves.

Question: In what areas of your life will you let G-d do for you what you where unable to do for yourself?

Meditative Prayer: G-d, I invite You into my life to do for me what I am unable to do for myself.