Attempt at a story

We all experience difficult times in our lives, when things get us down. I wrote this story to outline one approach that helps me see things in perspective. It's called, "If I knew what G-d knew."

There once was a girl named Tzippy and she was not happy with her life. Although there were many good things in her life, there were many challenges that she faced. Tzippy turned to G-d to cry out and she exclaimed, "G-d!! I don't understand why you are doing this to me! It seems that everyone else I know has it so easy! How come everything is so hard for me? Some get along so easily with their family, while my family always has conflict. Some had several job offers after only weeks of searching, and it took me close to a year to receive even one job offer. I don't understand!"

Filled with deep pain, Tzippy broke down sobbing. After Tzippy cried for a long time, G-d turned to her and said, "Ok. I will let you see the world from my perspective and you can come up to my level (K'Ilu) and then you can change whatever you want to change about your life."

Tzippy stopped short. "Wha-a-t?" she asked curiously.

G-d replied, “Come up to shamayim for just a minute, and make any request you want. I will fulfill it.”

In shock, Tzippy could barely respond. "Ok," she managed to answer.

Tzippy then saw the world from G-d's perspective. "Alright," G-d said gently. "What would you like to change? You see yourself, your good deeds, your faults, your past, your future. You see everyone else, their struggles, the great things about their lives. Change what you wish."

Tzippy looked down at the world and stared long and hard. It was as though the world below her was a large checkerboard. She put her hand on the piece that represented herself, and began to move it around to see what would happen. Each time she moved it, other pieces moved around, depicting the consequences of her actions. Every time she tried to switch her life with other people’s who seemed better, she took it back, since their struggles were way worse than hers and by far outweighed any positive aspect to the switch.

She thought and thought and thought. Hours passed by. After reviewing all the options, the possibilities, the alternatives, Tzippy was ready to make her request. Finally she said quietly, "I would keep everything exactly the same. I wouldn't so much as change one second or one small thing."

“Are you sure?” G-d asked, smiling kindly.

“Well,” she paused. “There are some things that I would change, but none of them are things that I would ask you to do. They are all things that I need to change about myself. I need to daven harder and change myself so I will deserve the things I want.”

She glanced down one last time and repeated firmly, “Knowing what you know, G-d, I wouldn’t change a thing. I want to keep my life exactly the way it is.”

Tzippy returned to the world. I would love to say that Tzippy was always happy and never had a complaint about her life again, but that would not be true. There were still many things that she didn’t understand. But how she viewed her life was different. She was more content with her portion in life, and she was able to realize that even the things that she didn’t understand were from G-d, and He knew the reason. If she knew what He knew, she wouldn’t change a thing.