SARAH DUKES
WOMAN OF VALOR, MOTHER OF SIX, COMPOSER
Sarah captured hearts worldwide with her heart-wrenching social media posts in which she documented her husband Rabbi Yehuda (Yudi) Dukes’ courageous journey through Covid-19 in 2020 and his untimely passing in 2021 at age of 39. Leibman Productions made the Dukes’ heroic story into an award-winning documentary entitled, “Chazak – The Story of Yudi Dukes.”
Sarah Dukes is a Chabad Chassidic mother of six, a licensed mental health counselor in private practice, and an award-winning composer and songwriter. Sarah’s stirring collection of original music is featured on dozens of global radio stations, on international airlines’ in-flight entertainment systems, and on TV’s number one daytime drama, “The Young and the Restless.”
Sarah continues to inspire and empower others to face pain and challenges head-on with faith and dignity through social media @sarahdukesmusic.
Sarah's music is available to stream and download on all platforms and on her website, www.sarahdukesmusic.com, where sheet music can also be purchased.
Meeting The Infinite
SARAH DUKES
Society encourages us to believe in God. To trust in God. But trust is something that typically needs to be earned. How can we be expected to make ourselves completely vulnerable to a higher power or Divine energy if we can’t even be sure it exists?
Absolute knowledge that there is a master plan provides comfort in the chaos and security in the midst of instability. Belief brings an element of inner peace and acceptance. Having faith that we are exactly where we need to be at any given moment and trusting that we will, one day, see the revealed good behind the darkness, gives the sense of purpose and meaning in our lives that we desperately yearn for.
So begins our search for proof of a Godly presence. We search for answers. We search for truth.
And we should continue searching. Yet, at some point, there might need to be a leap into faith. Because no matter how great one’s mind is and how much knowledge he or she has, God’s existence transcends human comprehension. God is beyond reason and understanding. It is therefore impossible to prove this Divine entity with our finite capacity. Faith starts where knowledge stops.
Instead of focusing on proving God’s existence, we would be better served by focusing on recognizing God’s existence.
How do we, as finite beings, access recognition of an Infinite Presence? How can we understand what God is? By looking within. By familiarizing ourselves with the core of our essence. By being aware of the Infinite energy that enlivens each and every one of us.
We so often identify with our internal and external layers of self. But we are more than our intellect, emotions, and actions. We are more than our fears, insecurities, relationships, and accomplishments.
When we move beyond these qualities that divide and individualize us, when all is stripped away, we are left with a Divine spark. An essence that is pure, untouchable, and unbreakable. We encounter the core of our existence – our soul.
This is where we find our innate worth, which is beyond that which we think, say, do, or feel. This is where we are unconditionally and infinitely valued. Where we are safe.
By tapping into this eternal Godly force, we can achieve the impossible, create something from nothing, create something from everything, and have unlimited potential in our limited world. This is where the finite and Infinite meet.
This is where we find God.
Recognizing God in our lives requires a delicate balance between humility and an awareness of our own significance. Possessing the wisdom to acknowledge that God is greater than our understanding is a gateway to engaging with the Divine energy and the infinite capabilities within ourselves. Perhaps believing in our quintessential selves is, ultimately, believing in God.