“The old adage tells of a master that uses a stick to clout a slave; the unfortunate slave certainly doesn’t blame the stick for his troubles, nor is he angry at the stick, nor does he try to appease the stick.

…any situation, person, object…that saddens us is none other than a ‘stick’ in Hashem’s hands.  Would we try to reason or negotiate with a stick?  Certainly not!  Just as the slave turns to his master, we must turn to Hashem whenever we seek to understand what’s happening in our lives.”  ~ The Garden of Emuna