Eikev- Use your own GPS to Guide Yourself!

 Eikev - Use your own GPS to Guide Yourself!

I remember when I was a little boy,my dad would go to the AAA office, and get a bunch of road maps and meet with the travel counselor that had a big yellow highlighter pen in his hand, ready to draw the path to our driving destination for our family trip, not ever giving it any consideration that my dad would usually take a turn by ‘mistake’, which dad would laugh off, and say, “I decided to take a shortcut”….How many times have you listened and looked to your GPS on you smart phone, or remember looking at a road map, before GPS ever existed????....and realizing that you need to make a right turn, instead of a left, or you might have gone onto the wrong Spur/exit on the Freeway or on the toll road? 

 Be it the Map or GPS was incorrect (ha!!, although Google Maps does falter at times), or you just over shot the exit, and ‘we’ as humans do that too!!!  Did you give up, did you turn around and go home?  I sure hope you answered, “NO!!!!!”…. I will use the map/GPS as my guide.

From the portion/Parsha, EIKEV, “And all the commandments which I commanded you today, you shall do in order that you shall live and you will increase and you will come, and you will inherit the land.”   An awesome road map for anybody! It is a very powerful statement; never give up and keep moving progressively forward and GROW!  Keep learning, keep absorbing, comprehend change for the betterment, and building your own self with great steps forward, and with each step, you will have great spiritual growth.

With growth, you can achieve more than one may imagine…………step by step......proactive achievement, as long as we as individuals, as humans don’t fool ourselves into thinking ‘we’ are greater than the commandments, its meaning, its true and sincere purpose, be it back in the time of forefathers & mothers, and teachers in general, or today, and with all of our worldly and not so worldly distractions that throw a curve here and there, or just might slow you down.

It is vital for each person to focus on what IS achievable for him/her, not on what’s NOT attainable! FOCUS ON THE POSITIVE AND REACH FOR THE STARS WITH A STEADY HEART AND SOUL; WALK THE WALK!!!   The 613 commandments might just be out of one’s attainability! And indeed are many, and some do not even apply to you, to your brother, your sister, your mother or father, or children, or to me. They are just NOT attainable, as they do not apply to us!!

   To make ‘it’ work, focus on the following, “Honor your Mother and Father”.  That is very achievable and CAN be attainable. Is #601, not to dwell permanently in Egypt--Deuteronomy 17:16?  Is #603. Not to offer peace to Ammon and Moab while besieging them--Deuteronomy 23:7?  Are they attainable to you today?    My very direct point, and very clear message here is to focus on what is relevant to you, and Yes, sometimes, it is a little reach , especially today, (and that’s called GROWTH), sometimes a little work, in fact, a lot of work, but the dividends and rewards are absolutely great for YOU!

In a world that we have Smart Phones, that actually talk to us or do math, a world that has every manner to communicate and reach out with social media, in a world that has TV’s as big as movie theater screens, or cars that drive themselves (although rather scary to me at current time), we must stop and look in our own mirrors please! 

  We must slow down for our own sake and our families concern too, take a breath, walk just a little slower, and take time for YOU, for our mom and dad, for our kids, for your dogs, our cats…..., And take some time for introspection, personal growth, Thought and / or Prayer!  Slowly crawl if needed, but progressively go forward and make the time, and it will be reflective upon you; a true shining gleam from YOU to the rest of US!!!!   It is a true internal and external bliss!

Walk your path towards it, walk at your very own pace, keep it in your heart, attach it to your soul and body, bind it to the door posts of your home, and JUST go forward walking, and indeed walk and keep it simple and close to YOUR heart! It’s the map for your own success! It is indeed, YOUR MAP!