Florida humidity. Phoenix heat.

Last week I was in Florida- and I couldn’t stand it.

I was there for a conference of Chabad Rabbis who share a passion for
Supporting patients in hospitals and those facing medical challenges.
But every moment I had to spend outside in the thick, sticky humidity? I hated it.

From the second I stepped outside, I was sweating- and my glasses instantly fogged up.
As I pulled into the conference, I spotted the host walking by.
He’s an old friend, so of course I had to kvetch about it.

“I love this weather. I’d take it over the heat any day,” he replied.

I couldn’t believe it. South Florida is great-
But when people talk about Miami’s weather
They’re usually talking about the winter!

That day, the high in Phoenix was over 110. No one asks for that, either.
Still, part of me wished I was home.

And I wondered- how can two people have the exact same experience,
Yet come out of it feeling completely different about it?

A week later, I think I have my answer:
We’re human. We see things through our own lenses, shaped by what we’re used to.

In the desert, G-d fed our nation with Manna.
It was everything you’d expect from Heavenly Bread:
- Fully absorbed by the body
- Tasted like anything you’d like
- Came wrapped in precious gems.

And yet, the people weren’t satisfied.

Why? Because they were human. and they couldn’t relate to it.
They needed food they’d worked for, food they could call theirs, food they could eat
Whenever they wanted- not something that arrived on its own schedule.

They were used to enjoying their food with all their senses.
Seeing a sizzling steak or smelling fresh bread out of the oven
Just doesn’t compare to imagining it in your mind.

So even though they were eating food from G-d Himself,
They couldn’t feel completely satisfied- simply because they weren’t used to it.

And still- G-d gave it to them for 40 years.

Because he wanted them- and us- to learn;
Every experience in life, food or anything else,
Depends on how we see it.

It’s all perspective.

Too often, we get caught up in our comforts and expectations.
And when things don’t go the way we thought they should,
We fill ourselves with frustration and disappointment.

We’re searching for earthly bread- when G-d is feeding us from his own hand.

The trick is to remember: G-d is in control. He’s taking care of us.

When we loosen our grip on how we think things should be,
We start to notice the blessings already here.

Heavenly blessings- ready to be felt, seen, and shared.