“You do your bit, and G‑d will do the rest.”

Sometimes, you’re trying so hard to do the right thing, and you can’t see the fruit of your labor. You wonder if it’s worth the effort, time and thought when the results are just not what you were expecting.

Suppose, for example, you are a school parent arranging aWhy can’t things just work out? parent-teachers evening because you believe that it will benefit the school community. You’ve put hours of thought into it, planning all the details of the food, venue, program and invitations.

The special evening is scheduled in two days’ time. You started a while ago, and at this point, you can count on one hand the parents and teachers who have sent you a response at all—some of these responses simply an “unable to attend.”

“Why can’t things just work out? Where is everyone?” You hope there won’t be an embarrassing flop of an evening that you put so much into.

The clock keeps ticking, and you start hearing a nagging voice inside. “Why bother with this? Just cancel the whole thing!” Surely, if nobody else really cares for the evening, then there is no reason for you to go out of your way for it?

Here’s some encouragement to stay positive, reaffirm your decision to go with your plans and believe that somehow G‑d will make it all work out. Imagine this:

A 99-year-old man, Abraham, is recovering after his circumcision. It could have been the perfect time for him to relax and take it easy. Yet being the genuinely good person that he was, he was desperate to host guests, despite his pain and weakness.

G‑d, loving and considerate as only a father can be, decided to set the sun’s temperature to the max, so that no wanderer would dare brave a trek in the broiling desert. Abraham would then be spared the burden of hosting guests and have the opportunity to recover.

Abraham could have accepted G‑d’s favor, “Oh, thank you, G‑d! How kind of You to let me rest!”

Instead, however, he was disappointed that nobody was around. Abraham loved hosting guests; it was part of his very being. Post circumcision or not, young or old, Avraham yearned for an opportunity to be kind to another person.

Determined as ever—and knowing the almost-impossible chances of a passerby venturing out in the blazing heat—he sat himself down outside his tent, waiting for guests.

“I will sit here until somebody comes.”

And you know what G‑d did? The same loving, considerate G‑dSometimes, doing our bit means having faith in the unimaginable who turned the sun on high for Abraham to rest now sent him angels to be his guests. Angels would survive the heat, and Abraham would be satisfied!

Avraham did his bit, and G‑d did the rest.

Sometimes, doing our bit means having faith in the unimaginable. In the unlikely. And not just stopping there, at believing in our dreams. Sometimes, doing our bit means going out of our tent, our comfort zone, and demonstrating our determination to do all we can to turn that hope into our reality.

Still, if we truly believe in our mission and want to succeed, if we ignore all possible excuses that G‑d has given us, maybe He will send some angels our way, too.

G‑d can do anything. Let’s do our bit.