We all have our narrow spaces to escape, and our own Pharaohs holding us back. Sometimes the tyrant is our own voice; slandering, speaking ill, downplaying skills and successes. There are times when I am astonished at the things I say to myself, things I’d never dream of saying to another person.

I think about the fact that in Exodus, when Moses stands barefoot before the bush that burns but is not consumed, God is kinder to Moses than Moses is to himself. He can’t accept that he is capable, that he can effect change, that people will turn to him as their leader. Even in the Presence of God’s confidence in him, Moses doubts.

May we each be blessed at this holiday season, whether celebrating Passover or Easter, to have faith in ourselves and escape from the narrow places where we have confined ourselves. May we be strong in the face of adversity and resilient in times of stress, and may we each have the confidence to say, “I am enough.”