Washed over with Gratitude
Hashem has implanted within us the desire to live. When one is faced with danger, he uncovers supernatural powers which help him overcome the peril, allowing him to rescue himself from death.
Throughout the world, people are willing to pay any price to protect their lives. Firefighters and rescue teams are willing to risk their lives in order to save others from certain danger.
I knew a Jew who was witness to the natural disaster of the tsunami in the Far East, which resulted in the loss of countless lives. He and his son were bathing at the sea when, suddenly, with no prior warning, a tremendous wave engulfed them, drawing his son far away from him. The man felt his entire world fade before him. He quickly regained his senses and began entreating Hashem to save his son.
Two days passed. The world heard the news of the terrible tsunami and the great damage which it had wrought as it washed over the shoreline, claiming lives and possessions. The bereaved father thought he would never see his beloved son again. He believed that his son was one of the casualties of this awful catastrophe. Imagine his joy at finding his son, safe and sound!
The ebullient father realized that by a miracle mightier than the sea, his son had been returned to him from the Next World. From the day he found his son alive, life took on new meaning for him.
His conclusion was: “Man does not appreciate life fully, until it is nearly taken from him.”
