Despair Meets Emuna

Despair met Emuna while waiting in line at the Ashdod post office. Despair was mailing off a stack of protest letters against the government, while Emuna was mailing a few hundred CDs to American soldiers in Afghanistan. Here's the gist of their conversation:
 
Emuna(with a big smile): Shalom, Despair! How are you feeling?
 
Despair: Don't ask. Every candidate for commander in chief of the IDF gets nailed by the press or by some government investigation. We can't even trust our own leaders. The peace with Egypt looks like it's going down the drain with the rise of the Muslim Brotherhood and the whole Arab world is going nuts and becoming super radical. Hizbulla now controls Lebanon and Iran has a foothold right down the road south of here in Hamas-controlled Gaza. The whole world is blowing apart with global warming, volcanoes, crazy snow blizzards – you name it. And yet, everybody blames Israel. We're the world's scapegoat and nobody cares. It's all over – the UN and EU are trying to take Jerusalem away from us; no more Judea and Samaria, pretty soon, no more anything. I haven't even mentioned the…
 
Emuna: Stop talking like that, silly! Hashem can cancel the entire evil decree in another minute.
 
Despair: I don't want to hear about Hashem. He's forgotten us completely.
 
Emuna: Hashem doesn't forget an ameba, much less a human. Hashem loves each and every one of his creations. He calls Israel the "Holy Land" and calls us the "chosen people". If Hashem worries about the needs of every little worm and mosquito, he certainly concerns himself with the plight of His beloved children in the Holy Land.
 
Despair: Oh yeh, then what's Hashem doing about all of South America recognizing so-called Palestinian rights while letting us be the scapegoats of society? What's He doing about the government, the corruption, the scandals, the crime rates and the police brutality? Huh, Emuna? You got an answer? Can’t you see, Hashem doesn't care about us anymore!
 
Emuna: The very first tenet of our faith is that Hashem is the Creator and ruler of the world, who alone did, does, and will do every action. All those things you're angry with are nothing but scalpels in Hashem's loving hands, and all for our ultimate good. Sometimes, a doctor has to make an incision in the patient's flesh to save the patient, but that certainly doesn't mean that the doctor doesn't care about the patient; on the contrary! The doctor is the epitome of compassion; he deals in healing people!
 
Despair: Hashem's not interested in healing us. I haven't seen him make any house calls lately.
 
Emuna: That's because you don't open your eyes. He's massaging your heart and operating your brain this very second. He's even creating the microorganisms that are helping digest the food in your belly this very minute. Hashem's not only interested in helping and healing each and every one of us, He created us in order to bestow his compassion and loving-kindness on us! What looks to you like an impending disaster will turn out to be the redemption of our people. The rise of radical Islam is only a small part in a big puzzle that's designed to prepare us for a life of bliss in the Eretz Yisrael of Moshiach and Beit Hamikdash. Before every birth comes excruciating labor pains. We just have to pray that Hashem gives us the strength and wisdom to hang on to our faith, no matter what!
 
Despair: I've neither desire nor strength to pray. I'm burnt out. Besides, I don't belong to a synagogue and don't know how to pray.
 
Emuna: You don't need to "know how", and you don't need a synagogue. Find some quiet place and begin talking to Hashem like you would a loving parent. Ask Hashem to teach you how to pray, to put the right words in your mouth. You'll accomplish a lot more talking to Hashem than you will passing out your protest leaflets. Give it a try – Hashem's waiting for you.
 
Despair(sneaks a peek at the pretty embossed CDs in Emuna's shopping bag): Hey, what are those CDs? The pictures of the sunsets and the animals are really eye-catching.
 
Emuna: These are the teachings of Rabbi Shalom Arush that are now available in English. They’ve done wonders for prison inmates, soldiers in hot spots around the world, and regular housewives too. They’re really soothing for the soul, and they help you get to know God and to feel His Divine mercy and blessings in every phase of your life.
 
Despair: Can I have one of those?
 
Emuna: My pleasure. Try listening to these two (Emuna gives Despair the No Despair and Stop Crying CDs – they’ll open up a whole new life for you…
 
Postal Clerk(to Emuna): It's your turn, sir.
 
Despair(out the door, waving behind him, while throwing the packet of protest letters in a nearby waste can): See ya, Emuna. I'm gonna give this a try!
 
Emuna(waves back at Despair): G-d bless, chabibi! (turning to Postal Clerk): Can you give me a bulk airmail rate for 1500 CDs to the US Forces in Afghanistan? By the way, sir, did you ever listen to emuna CDs? Here (gives the clerk a CD in Hebrew); listen to this one ten times, and you'll see big miracles in your marriage.
 
Postal Clerk: How did you know that I need some big help in that area?
 
Emuna: Our Father in Heaven knows; you work for the post office, but I’m a mailman too – consider this CD a personal postcard for you from Hashem. He’d love to hear back from you…
 
* * *
 
Hashem would love to hear from you too, beloved brothers and sisters.
 
Emuna and Despair are those two little debating voices in your head. They are also known as yetzer tov and yetzer hara, the good inclination and the evil inclination. I think you know which one you’re better off listening to.