Whew! I hope everyone had a good Shavuos, and ate at least a little cheesecake (I actually didn’t get any, but I’ve made my peace with that). Between Shabbos and Yom Tov and Shabbos again, I feel like I haven’t blogged in absolutely ages. But here we are again, it’s Tuesday, and I have a post for you.

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I think it’s fair to say that we have all experienced situations in our lives that are extremely challenging. For some, it’s finding their bashert, for others, it’s losing a job, and for others it’s a challenge with children, family, anger, patience, you name it.

And sometimes, when we’re going through a particularly trying time, things can seem very, very bleak. Like, the weight-of-the-world-on-your-shoulders and how-am-I-ever-going-to-get-past-this bleak.

For some of us, these trials are very public, and for others, they are very private. Sometimes you can’t even tell that a person is suffering.

I’ve mentioned in other posts that nothing is a coincidence and that it’s all for the good, but it’s not always simple to keep these concepts in mind.  Especially when it seems like the tension will never break or the problem will never resolve.

Well.

The Jewish people have been yearning for the redemption since the destruction of our second temple.  That was a long time ago.  Like, 1,941 years ago.  And we are still hoping.  It is still in our prayers andon our lips.  Just the other night, I was at a going-away party for someone, and at least a couple of people mentioned that, IY”H, we’ll all be in Jerusalem soon.  Because we really hope and believe that the redemption is coming, like, tomorrow.

That’s on the national scale.

On a personal level, none of us will be waiting nearly 2000 years for the resolution of a difficult situation.  I think that sometimes, situations which are personally difficult can make it seem like time is going by insufferably slowly, but really, if we can put it in perspective, it’s not as long as it feels.

Just as we haven’t given up hope for a national redemption, we also shouldn’t give up hope for the resolution of our personal trials.

It may sound cold, or harsh, but sometimes we just have to move on with our lives and wait for the situation to work itself out.  Definitely daven and make the effort that you are able to, but understand that, ultimately, it’s not on our timetable.  It’s up to Hashem.  Oftentimes, just as we’ve finally given up, that’s when a little glimmer of hope appears.

And the longer we wait for that glimmer, the sweeter it can feel.

Here’s to the resolution of all of our personal tribulations.