O thou beloved of my heart![1] I knew My love for thee; therefore I created thee, have engraved on thee Mine image and revealed to thee My beauty.[2] My claim on thee is great, it cannot be forgotten. My grace to thee is plenteous, it cannot be veiled. My love has made in thee [...]

O thou beloved of my heart![1]

I knew My love for thee; therefore I created thee, have engraved on thee Mine image and revealed to thee My beauty.[2]

My claim on thee is great, it cannot be forgotten. My grace to thee is plenteous, it cannot be veiled. My love has made in thee its home, it cannot be concealed. My light is manifest to thee, it cannot be obscured. [3]

Rejoice thou with great joy that We have remembered thee both now and in the past. Indeed the sweet savours of this remembrance shall endure and shall not change throughout the eternity of the Names of God, the Lord of mankind. [4]

Sorrow not if, in these days and on this earthly plane, things contrary to your wishes have been ordained and manifested by God, for days of blissful joy, of heavenly delight, are assuredly in store for you. [5]

I have not forgotten nor will I forget thee. [6] Verily, my soul longs for thee, for the lamp of the love of Baha’ is lighted within thy heart and I love to look upon thy face. [7] I have utmost love for thee and thy family for thou servest me — how can I be offended at you? Be assured and happy. [8]

I love thee with all my heart and pray for thee every eve and morn. [9] I have called thee by thy name; thou art Mine. [10] At all times do I speak of you and call you to mind. I pray unto the Lord, and with tears I implore Him to rain down all these blessings upon you, and gladden your hearts, and make blissful your souls, and grant you exceeding joy and heavenly delights. [11]

Thy name is often mentioned in the presence of this Wronged One and the glances of Our loving-kindness and compassion are directed towards thee.[12] The hearts are cheered whenever you are mentioned, the souls are comforted in your love, the holy spirits are captivated by your fragrance, the eyes are expecting to see you and the hearts are longing to meet you. [13] Indeed could ye but know how dear ye are in the presence of your true and heavenly Father, ye would stretch forth your wings and take your flight. [14]

Surely a day will come when all thy desires will be attained and God will answer all that which thou hast prayed for in thine heart, and I beg of Him to make all that which thou hast longed for, long ago, very attainable. Then thine heart will be overflowed with joy on account of such a great bounty. [15]

God has crowned you with honour and in your hearts has He set a radiant star; verily the light thereof shall brighten the whole world! [16]

He has chosen you to be His messengers of love throughout the world, to be His bearers of spiritual gifts to man, to be the means of spreading unity and concord on the earth. Thank God with all your hearts that such a privilege has been given unto you.[17]

We have graciously accepted thy devotions, thy praise, thy teaching work and the services thou hast rendered for the sake of this mighty Announcement. We have also hearkened unto that which thy tongue hath uttered at the meetings and gatherings. Verily thy Lord heareth and observeth all things. [18]

Know thou that, verily, the eye of favors is directed to thee and is beholding thee with a divine glance, so that thou mayest, with clear eyes, see the lights of the Kingdom upon the horizon. Remember, at all times, this great favor and thank thy Lord and supplicate to Him every day. [19]

I hope that, in the path of the love of God, thou wilt exert thyself exceedingly and thy wilt enjoy life. [20]

Now I say unto you, bear this on your hearts and in your minds. Verily your light shall illumine the whole world, your spirituality shall affect the heart of things. You shall in truth become the lighted torches of the globe. Fear not, neither be dismayed, for your light shall penetrate the densest darkness. This is the Promise of God, which I give unto you. Rise! and serve the Power of God! [21]

With Deepest Abiding Love,

God

Your True and Heavenly Father

by Rachel Perry In doing some research into the topic of veils that come between us and God, I found the following quote: “Love is a veil betwixt the lover and the beloved.”  (Baha’u’llah, The Four Valleys, p. 60) Since I’d been thinking about love between men and women lately, this struck me as an [...]

by Rachel Perry

In doing some research into the topic of veils that come between us and God, I found the following quote:

“Love is a veil betwixt the lover and the beloved.”  (Baha’u'llah, The Four Valleys, p. 60)

Since I’d been thinking about love between men and women lately, this struck me as an odd statement, and I sent it to my wise friend, Rachel Perry, to see what her take on it was.  What follows is her email to me.  I thought it was too good to let go, so I wanted to share it with you too.

To best understand the meanings in The Fourth Valley it is best to have read through all 7 of the Seven Valleys.  To understand this phrase we have to do 3 things:

1. Consider this phrase in the context of the paragraph:  At the beginning of the paragraph it says “This is the realm of full awareness, of utter self-effacement.” And “…longing hath no dwelling here.” So it is possible that one part of “love” that veils us is the feeling of longing. Let’s consider this idea of love and longing in more detail. To do that, we look back at The Valley of Love and Knowledge.

2.  Consider this reference to “Love” in light of what we know about Love from the study of The Valley of Love and the Valley of Knowledge.  In the first paragraph of the Valley of Love we find that “In this city the heaven of ecstasy is upraised and the world-illuming sun of yearning shineth”….you see the reference here to “yearning” and that is a synonym for “longing” which was mentioned in the paragraph in the Fourth Valley. So one part of “love” that is a veil is the “longing”….when the lover longs for his beloved this in fact becomes a veil.

Interestingly enough, in The Valley of Knowledge it refers to this “Love is a veil” idea again where is says “Love is a veil betwixt the lover and the loved one; More than this I am not permitted to tell.”

God knows that we are filled with longing, love, and desire – God knows we want to know more and that to tell us that Baha’u'llah is not permitted to tell us more would make our hearts cry out in frustration…so what does the next paragraph tell us that eases our sorrow? It tells us that “If thou be a man of communion and prayer, soar up on the wings of assistance from Holy Souls, that thou may best behold the mysteries of the Friend and attain to the lights of the Beloved.”

3.  So that brings us to the third thing we must do – commune/meditate and pray but before we do that we are going to consider “what shall we pray and meditate about?” and the answer to that is in the next sentence which reads…”After passing through the Valley of Knowledge, which is the last plane of limitation, the wayfarer cometh to The Valley of Unity and drinketh from the cup of the Absolute, and gazeth on the Manifestations of Oneness.”

The reason this statement is important is because if we consider back in The 4th Valley the paragraph we are exploring said “This is the realm of full awareness” and here again now we learn that when one passes through the Valley of Love, and then the Valley of Knowledge, then the wayfarer comes to the Valley of Unity where there is UNION with the beloved. I can’t write all the wonderful, wonderful things that are written about in the Valley of Union but you can read it and see it there and let the divine words fill your heart with pleasure and joy because of the possibilities that God guides our souls to consider.

When I consider how is love/longing a veil between me and my beloved in light of these valleys what I conclude is that when as there is longing there is a feeling of separation. And this becomes the very limitation which we seek to remove. In prayer and meditation we can feel ourselves become One with God and we can “gaze on the Manifestations of Oneness” that are all around us and in us. (Once we find it in meditation which is where God tells us we will find it…then we can enjoy it in the rest of our active lives as well.)

To reflect in our own hearts to what the meaning of longing/yearning has for us and how removing this veil can bring us into full awareness of the Unity of God.

On a separate but related note – something so funny happened while I was writing this! I had been in my room typing with the light on but it woke my 5 year old daughter Grace up and she asked me to turn it off. So I say “sure” and go out to the hall and there is one of my house-mates on her hands and knees looking at the floor. I ask her if everything is okay (it’s 1am in the morning!) and she tells me she has lost a part of her tongue ring. I hear the word “RING” and immediately think of that story in the Valley of Search when the woman is found on the other side of the wall just looking for a ring. I smiled at her and joined right in on the search for that ring. All the while smiling at the coincidence of the scenerio. (By the way – I did find it for her and could tell by the look on her face she was astonished as I think she was just about to give up when I had come out)

So I wanted to mention that scenario because maybe it happened for a reason and there is something in that story that I am supposed to share with you that may be a further light along the path.

Lastly, something that Abdu’l-Bahá has said has come to mind while I was writing this. He once said that at any given time God gives Him all the knowledge He needs for what is required at that moment. That statement has been something I consider often. I’m sorry I can’t even remember if it was something I read or someone told me. It’s been a part of me for so long I forget its origin. Are you familiar with it? Anyway, to me, in the light of what we are talking about here it seems relevant in that Abdu’l-Bahá was in the condition of not “searching” for answers or searching for anything. It seems He was at One with God…and this appears to be the condition that we are aiming for here. The statements in The Valley of Unity say more about this way of “seeing through the eyes of God, hearing through the ears of God, etc” and I believe this is the goal we are seeking.

I encourage you to reflect on these ideas during your meditation and not in journaling so that you can use your heart as your guide and not your head. This is a Valley to be felt and experienced and not written about…as it says “The tongue faileth in describing these three Valleys and speech falleth short.” (From the Valley of Contentment)

Thank you for giving me the opportunity to return to one of my favourite books, Susan.

by Susan Gammage, Baha’i Life Coach Every once in awhile, one of my life coaching clients sends me an email that brings tears to my eyes.  This one reminds me of the Bahá’í Hidden Word which says: O SON OF BEING! With the hands of power I made thee and with the fingers of strength [...]

by Susan Gammage, Baha'i Life Coach

Every once in awhile, one of my life coaching clients sends me an email that brings tears to my eyes.  This one reminds me of the Bahá’í Hidden Word which says:

O SON OF BEING!
With the hands of power I made thee and with the fingers of strength I created thee; and within thee have I placed the essence of My light. Be thou content with it and seek naught else, for My work is perfect and My command is binding. Question it not, nor have a doubt thereof.   (Baha’u'llah, Hidden Words, Arabic 12)

At a fundraising dinner for a school that serves children with learning disabilities, the father of one of the students delivered a speech that would never be forgotten by all who attended. After extolling the school and its dedicated staff, he offered a question:

‘When not interfered with by outside influences, everything nature does is done with perfection.

Yet my son, Shay, cannot learn things as other children do.  He cannot understand things as other children do.

Where is the natural order of things in my son?’

The audience was stilled by the query.

The father continued. ‘I believe that when a child like Shay, who was mentally and physically disabled comes into the world, an opportunity to realize true human nature presents itself, and it comes in the way other people treat that child.’

Then he told the following story:

Shay and I had walked past a park where some boys Shay knew were playing baseball. Shay asked, ‘Do you think they’ll let me play?’ I knew that most of the boys would not want someone like Shay on their team, but as a f ather I also understood that if my son were allowed to play, it would give him a much-needed sense of belonging and some confidence to be accepted by others in spite of his handicaps.

I approached one of the boys on the field and asked (not   expecting much) if Shay could play. The boy looked around for guidance and said, ‘We’re losing by six runs and the game is in the eighth inning. I guess he can be on our team and we’ll try to put him in to bat in the ninth inning.’

Shay struggled over to the team’s bench and, with a broad smile, put on a team shirt. I watched with a small tear in my e ye and warmth in my heart. The boys saw my joy at my son being accepted.

In the bottom of the eighth inning, Shay’s team scored a few runs but was still behind by three.

In the top of the ninth inning, Shay put on a glove and played in the right field. Even though no hits came his way, he was obviously ecstatic just to be in the game and on the field, grinning from ear to ear as I waved to him from the stands.

In the bottom of the ninth inning, Shay’s team scored again.

Now, with two outs and the bases loaded, the potential winning run was on base and Shay was scheduled to be n ext at bat.

At this juncture, do they let Shay bat and give away their chance to win the game?

Surprisingly, Shay was given the bat. Everyone knew that a hit was all but impossible because Shay didn’t even know how to hold the bat properly, much less connect with the ball.

However, as Shay stepped up to the home plate, the pitcher,   recognizing that the other team was putting winning aside for this moment in Shay’s life, moved in a few steps t o lob the ball in softly so Shay could at least make contact.

The first pitch came and Shay swung clumsily and missed.

The pitcher again took a few steps forward to toss the ball softly towards Shay.

As the pitch came in, Shay swung at the ball and hit a slow ground ball right back to the pitcher.

The game would now be over.

The pitcher picked up the soft grounder and could have easily thrown the ball to the first baseman.

Shay would have been out and that would have been the end of the game.

Instead, the pitcher threw the ball right over the first baseman’s head, out of reach of all team mates.

Everyone from the stands and both teams started yelling, ‘Shay, run to first!

Run to first!’

Never in his life had Shay ever run that far, but he made it to first base.

He scampered down the baseline, wide-eyed and startled.

Everyone yelled, ‘Run to second, run to second!’

Catching his breath, Shay awkwardly ran towards second, gleaming and struggling to make it to the base.

By the time Shay rounded towards second base, the right fielder had the ball. The s mallest guy on their team who now had his first chance to be the hero for his team.

He could have thr own the ball to the second-baseman for the tag, but he understood the pitcher’s intentions so he, too, intentionally threw the ball high and far over the third-baseman’s head.

Shay ran toward third base deliriously as the runners ahead of him circled the bases toward home.

All were screaming, ‘Shay, Shay, Shay, all the Way Shay’

Shay reached third base because the opposing shortstop ran to help him by turning him in the direction of third base, and  shouted, ‘Run to third!

Shay, run to third!’

As Shay r ounded third, the boys from both teams, and the spectators, were on their feet   ; screaming, ‘Shay, run home! Run home!’

Shay ran to home, stepped on the plate, and was cheered as the hero who hit the grand slam and won the game for his team.

‘That day’, said the father softly with tears now rolling down his face, ‘the boys from both teams helped bring a piece of true love and humanity into this world’.

Shay didn’t make it to another summer. He died that winter, having never forgotten being the hero and making me so happy and coming home and seeing his Mother tearfully embrace her little hero of the day!

Do you have a similar experience to share?  Post your comments here:

by Susan Gammage, Baha’i Life Coach Thanks to Harley M Storey, the Life Coach Toolman for the following posting: It has been said that being in relationship is a great way to grow. This is because, we automatically encounter OUR unresolved issues, and often theirs as well! We have all experienced other people, especially those [...]

by Susan Gammage, Baha'i Life Coach

Thanks to Harley M Storey, the Life Coach Toolman for the following posting:

It has been said that being in relationship is a great way to grow. This is because, we automatically encounter OUR unresolved issues, and often theirs as well! We have all experienced other people, especially those we are closest to (family?), pushing our “buttons” and prompting issues that we are sensitive about.So what do we do when other people “push our buttons?” We have a choice to react – or respond.

When we react, we are usually not giving much thought to what we are doing, this can easily become a fully fledged argument if the other person also reacts without thinking.

By responding, rather than reacting, we have made space where we can consider the situation and decide the best way to handle things.Responding consists of patience, humility and intelligence.

Patience, because we are holding back from reacting straight away and often inflaming the situation.

Humility, because it feels good to react with a sarcastic comeback or put down.

Know thou of a certainty that Love is the secret of God’s holy Dispensation.
Abdu’l-Baha, Selections from the Writings of Abdu’l-Baha, p. 27

by Susan Gammage, Baha’i Life Coach The other day, I got one of those emails that you were asked to send on to 10 people or something bad would happen. I always delete these emails, but this one had a message that resonated for me. It didn’t attribute the author, so I can’t give credit [...]

by Susan Gammage, Baha’i Life Coach

The other day, I got one of those emails that you were asked to send on to 10 people or something bad would happen. I always delete these emails, but this one had a message that resonated for me. It didn’t attribute the author, so I can’t give credit here. My apologies.

“People come into your life for a reason, a season or a lifetime. When you know which one it is, you will know what to do for that person.. When someone is in your life for a REASON, it is usually to meet a need you have expressed. They have come to assist you through a difficulty, to provide you with guidance and support, to aid you physically, emotionally or spiritually. They may seem like a godsend and they are.They are there for the reason you need them to be. The prayer you sent up has been answered and now it is time to move on.

Some people come into your life for a SEASON, because your turn has come to share, grow or learn. They bring you an experience of peace or make you laugh. They may teach you something you have never done. They usually give you an unbelievable amount of joy. Believe it, it is real. But only for a season.

LIFETIME relationships teach you lifetime lessons, things you must build upon in order to have a solid emotional foundation. Your job is to accept the lesson, love the person and put what you have learned to use in all other relationships and areas of your life. It is said that love is blind but friendship is clairvoyant.”

Friends are like balloons; once you let them go, you might not get them back. Sometimes we get so busy with our own lives and problems that we may not even notice that we’ve let them fly away. Who have you let fly away and what will you do to let them know they’re still important?

What are your thoughts about friendships? Post your comments here: