Fingerprints

Today's BLOG entry comes from a set of borrowed words from a book I'm reading, "Don't sweat the small stuff," by Richard Carlson.  Enjoy!

#48 Remember that Everything has God's Fingerprints on it

Rabbi Harold Kushner reminds us that everything that God has created is potentially holy.  Our task as humans is to find that holiness in what appears to be unholy situations.  He suggests that when we can learn to do this, we will have learned to nurture our souls.  It's easy to see God's beauty in a beautiful sunset, a snow-capped mountain, the smile of a healthy child, or in ocean waves crashing on a sandy beach.  But can we can learn to find the holiness in seemingly  ugly circumstances -- difficult life lessons, a family tragedy, or a struggle for life?

When our life is filled with the desire to see holiness in everyday things, something magical begins to happen.  A feeling of peace emerges.  We begin to see nurturing aspects of daily living that were previously hidden to us.  When we remember that everything has God's fingerprints on it, that alone makes it special.  If we remember this spiritual fact while we are dealing with a difficult person or struggling to pay our bills, it broadens our perspective.  It helps us to remember that God also created the person you are dealing with or that, despite your struggle to pay your bills, you are truly blessed to have all that you do.

Somewhere, in the back of your mind, try to remember that everything has God's fingerprints on it.  The fact that we can't see the beauty in something doesn't suggest that it's not there.  Rather, it suggests that we are not looking carefully enough or with a broad enough perspective to see it. (Carlson 121-122)

Peace,
Karsten