Rebuilding Series: Not Set in Stone. By Marshall Lestz

Rebuilding Series: Not Set in Stone. By Marshall Lestz

Good Morning Everybody,

I had a wonderful little wakeup call on a recent trip I took with my wife to Banff National Park in Canada. We hiked down a trail to the Mistaya River, to the spot where it plunges into a very narrow canyon. It’s breathtaking, amazing, incredible… (You get the idea.) 

Now, we all know the remarkable power of water… How little droplets over time can bore a hole in a rock, (as in the famous story about Rabbi Akiva), or like how water can actually forge a canyon. But I have a feeling that when thinking about this power of water, we have a tendency to think of something you might call the “AFTER EFFECT”… Like what we see AFTER the water has worked its magic. We focus on the RESULT of what the water did. Like, “Wow, look at how that river carved out that canyon,” as if it were finished and all done.

My wakeup call occurred when I saw a large sign posted at the foot of the Mistaya River. In big words it stated, “WATER AT WORK.” And it hit me, this amazing canyon is literally a work in progress! It’s not, “Cool, look at what the water did 1000s of years ago.” It’s, “Look what the water is doing right this very second!” That canyon was literally in the process of being carved right before my eyes!

The reason this matters is because we’re just like that canyon! We’re not a finished product and we mustn’t EVER view ourselves that way. We’re being forged this very second. We’re not set in stone!

Rosh Chodesh Elul has just begun… a month dedicated to this very idea of change and growth! A month of self- reflection, t’shuva and self-refinement. A month leading up to the new year when we actively and enthusiastically re-commit to becoming a new, upgraded version of ourselves.

Like water cutting through stone, we too can carve away our outdated habits, attitudes and character traits that keep blocking us from moving forward… We can dissolve the pettiness, jealousy, and impatience that stifle our relationships. With Hashem’s help, we can groove new patterns and overcome the real (and imagined) obstacles that stand in our way! Of course we need goals and a plan, but first and foremost, we must BELIEVE that we can truly shape ourselves into the people we aspire to be!

May the remarkable power of Torah learning, mussar study, prayer and persistence help us forge a new path of greatness right through the new year.

Have a powerful day everybody,

Marshall

Keep on Building!