Based on an allegory by Baal HaSulam from Shamati, Article no. 241
If one is lost in the thick woods,
If he does not see any way out
To reach a town,
He becomes desperate,
And thinks he will never return home.
When he sees someone from a distance
Or hears someone's voice,
His desire to return home will instantly revive as before,
And he will begin to yell and cry out for someone
To come and save him.
It is likewise with one who has lost
The good path, and
Entered an evil place,
And has grown accustomed
To living among vicious animals.
If he hears the voice calling out to him,
He awakens to repent
For this is the voice of the Creator, not his own.
Thus, when the Creator
Wishes to lead us out of the dense forest
He shows us a glitter from afar.
Then the person musters what strength he has left
To walk on the path towards the glitter, in order to reach it.