Sometimes, I buy a piece of clothing because it’s on sale and know I’ll wear it at some point—like my cozy black sweatshirt. I bought it on a whim in TJ Maxx two years ago while on vacation in Las Vegas, but it soon became my absolute favorite piece of clothing, especially when traveling. It’s not too thick or too thin. It’s plain black, cozy as pajamas, yet it looks as decent as a top.

Recently, I was getting ready for my usual power walk. I was multitasking, as I always do, chatting with my daughter and looking for my sweatshirt. Alas, I couldn’t find it. It bothered me terribly, but I kept going. I’m a minimalist, so I only have one such top. Also, it’s perfect for brisk walks because I layer my clothes and as I heat up, I can wrap it around my waist easily. As I came back from my walk, I had a few spare minutes to rummage through my closet and husband’s drawers, but the sweatshirt was nowhere to be found.

I think I have a fairly close relationship with G‑d. I talk to Him all day, and this was definitely going to be part of my conversation. “Dear G‑d, thank you for a good night’s sleep and that I woke up so refreshed.” (I always start my conversations with gratitude; that’s what I learn from the “Modeh Ani” prayer said upon awakening.)

“G‑d,” I continued, “You know how much I like that sweatshirt, and I really need it. I’m going to pray to You now and put some extra money in the charity box, and I know You will help me find it soon! Thank you.”

I prayed, gave charity and put my mind in a positive frame.

“It’s already good,” I decided.

The morning passed, and nothing happened. Mid-morning, as I was washing some dishes, G‑d, in His infinite kindness, put this thought in my mind. “Remember, Sori, on Sunday, the grandchildren came swimming, and your husband collected all the kids’ clothing into a pile. Well, it must have gone to their house in the pile of clothing.”

Another important detail was that exactly that morning, my daughter Chanale had texted me from seminary to tell me she had to do a project on moms and daughters, and could only find one picture of me. I asked what picture she chose, hoping I looked decent. Well, guess what? Out of all the pictures she chose, it was one of me wearing that black sweatshirt en route to Israel.

When I texted Sara regarding the sweatshirt, she asked what it looked like. By G‑d’s grace, I had the picture handy from Chanale and forwarded it straight to her. “Oh yes, she replied. “I have that sweatshirt. I thought it belonged to my daughter’s friend.”

“No,” I said with uncontained joy. “It’s mine!”

Do you know, friends, G‑d loves us and wants a connection with us— from the minor details to the major ones, He is our dear Father in heaven. One might think, “How could you have disturbed G‑d with your silly sweatshirt? After all, He has bigger things to deal with!” Indeed, that is entirely true, yet we must understand that G‑d can handle everything and is not limited to just the big deals of life. G‑d is boundless.

“Cast your burdens onto G‑d, and He will deal with them.”1

Bitachon, or “trust,” comes from the Hebrew root word betach, meaning “for sure.” For sure, I put my trust in G‑d, and I knew the outcome would be good! This doesn’t mean that I was guaranteed that I would find the sweatshirt but since I put my trust in G‑d, I know that whatever the outcome was, it would be good.

The other day I was talking to the same daughter in seminary who told me that she missed three buses and only arrived at Tzfat in northern Israel (where she is studying) very late at night.

In her own words: “I missed my buses, but you can’t believe the Divine Providence. We met this woman, and she was all alone with a bunch of kids and lots of luggage. Since we missed the buses, we could stay with her and help her, with all the kids and all their packages. See, Mommy, G‑d makes everything happen for a reason!”

The Baal Shem Tov teaches us that even when the wind blows—making a leaf twirl and swirl and then fall—it is all directed by G‑d.

A person generally thinks he has “help from G‑d”; in other words, he does most of the work but G‑d helps out. The truth is, it’s not like that at all. Even a person’s own efforts come only from G‑d’s power. All of our good thoughts and the energy to work and acquire things are all gifts from G‑d.

May we all merit seeing the gifts, teaching them and living by this in our daily lives.