July and August have been extra hot here in Los Angeles. Every morning that we can, my daughter Ruby and I sit outside on our shaded patio and stare up at the sky. My favorite part about being outside is hearing the birds chirping sweetly, and Ruby’s favorite part is smelling the grass. And when the heat starts to creep in and we have to go inside, we can hold onto these small reminders to be grateful throughout our day. There is a sweet Chassidic teaching from the great Rebbe Nachman of Breslov (1772-1810) in which he reminds us to look at the sky every morning.

From his window facing the marketplace, Rebbe Nachman saw a dear friend speeding by. “Have you looked up at the sky this morning?” the Rebbe asked. “No, my dear Rebbe, I haven’t had the time.” And the Rebbe replied: “Believe me, in 50 years everything you see here today will be gone. There will be another fair—with different horses, new wagons, younger people. I may not be here then and perhaps neither will you. So what’s so important that you don’t have time to look at the sky?!”

I love this story and the opportunity to reach for deeper consciousness just by taking a moment to look up at the sky. The world is so vast, and we get preoccupied with so many restless challenges every day. When we see the sky, when we share a sweet moment with a loved one, when we remember God’s presence is all around us, we might be able to better perceive what is really important in that moment, that day, in our lives. This morning, will you take a moment of perspective and reflection and look up towards the sky?—Cantor Emma Lutz