Ya Dig?

Although I am not Chassidic, there is a story of the Baal Shem Tov which has always stayed with me. It is told that one day, he announced to his followers that he wanted to see Hungary, so off they went. Upon arriving, everyone was struck by the beauty of the lush, fertile land. In the distance, however, a patch of brown stood out in the sea of green. The Baal Shem Tov decided that they must go and investigate why this part of the land was neglected.
As they drew closer, they saw a farmer moving rapidly up and down the rows of earth. At each one, he stopped several times to dig into the dirt, pull out the seed and examine it, and then replace and cover it once again. The Rabbi watched the farmer do this over and over before he approached him. "My good man," he said, "you will exhaust yourself like this. Please go inside and sleep. My followers and I will work the land for you." Grateful, the farmer accepted the offer and went into his house, where he immediately fell into a deep slumber. After a few minutes, the Rabbi opened the door and screamed, "Wake up!" The farmer bolted out of bed, alarmed and annoyed. "Ah, I was just checking on you," smiled the Baal Shem Tov, and he closed the door again. According to the tale, this scene repeats itself until the sleep-deprived farmer puts two and two together and gives his crops the undisturbed space they need to grow.
A person's growth may not always be visible to us. From the outside, they look, talk, and act the same, and it can be so tempting to say or do something in an attempt to speed up the process. As Nature itself demonstrates, to do so can result in just the opposite. Do not be fooled by outward appearances. Trust that the seed is planted and will become more in the right time. If you really want to help a person to improve, step back and give them room to grow.
Shavua tov,
cbg