A song of Ascents.
Out of the depths I cry to You, ADONAI!
Lord, hear my voice!
Let Your ears be attentive to the sound of my supplications. Psalm 130:1~2
On the day before Yom Kippur, I saw this little girl feeding pigeons out of her hand. I stopped on my bicycle, and asked her mom if I could take a picture, and she said it was ok.
Just earlier in that morning I had been reading the book of Jonah, because the book of Jonah is read in the synagogue on Yom Kippur services, so I wanted to read it in advance. When I was reading it this time, I saw more than ever how amazing it is as a story of `Teshuvah`. That of course is why it is read at this time of year. I love hearing it, and reading it , partly because I relate to Jonah in my own story of `teshuvah`, or `return. I relate especially to how he thought he could run away from God, and of course, was found! This year after having been thinking a lot about Teshuvah, I noticed in the text of Jonah`s prayer how it is such an amazing `model` of teshuvah with the way the `turn` back to God is so clearly depicted in that prayer.
When I saw the girl with the pigeons I knew God was making a connection that He wanted me to see see in that moment!
He knew that I knew that I would see the connection of Jonah and the pigeons!!
Jonah and the pigeons, you ask?
well, yes! Because in Hebrew, the word Jonah
(actually its Yonah in Hebrew), means dove, or pigeon!!
dove, pigeon = יוֹנָה
Its something I learned this year, and I even call pigeons now `Yonahי
So I saw something in the little girl that was this peace she had and joy in feeding the pigeons, in being so at one with God`s creation! Part of our `Teshuvah` is a sense of coming home to who we are in Him, or returning to God as who He meant for us to be, and it can be a little like connecting to the childlike parts of ourselves. I think that in showing me that little girl, He wanted to show me something of the joy that He has been wanting to return in me.
I made an on-the-spot upload to express something about that, and just to share a little `pre-Yom Kippur` message, here is the upload and the scenes of little girl!!
G`mar Chatima Tovah!
May you be inscribed and sealed in the Book of Life for a good year!
Hope you have/had a good and smooth fast and meaningful Yom Kippur!! Blessings and Love, Shayndel