Difficult periods offer opportunities to demonstrate love

Some helpful practices for purifying and strengthening our spirits in times of tests, such as, "to picture for [ourselves] the wonderful scenes of heroism, of devotion and of self-sacrifice so vividly expressed in [The Dawn-Breakers]."

Clearly, the difficult periods in our lives are not without purpose. Among other things, they offer us a prime opportunity to express our love for [God's Messengers] in a meaningful way. It is relatively easy to be a believer when one is not challenged, when one is happy. However, in times of adversity, we must draw upon our inner, spiritual resources.

The Writings provide some guidance as to how we might nurture our spirits during such times:

 

Remember My days during thy days, and My distress and banishment in this remote prison. . . (Baha'u'llah) 

 

In times of disappointment, stress and anxiety, which we must inevitably encounter, we should remember the sufferings of our departed Master.
(Shoghi Effendi)

 

In view of these passages, you may wish to focus some of your reading and meditations on the lives and sufferings of the Central Figures of the Faith. Similarly, we are assured by the Guardian that the Tablet of Ahmad, the Healing Prayer and the Fire Tablet each have a special potency, and you will doubtless wish to avail yourself of them, if you are not already doing so. It is interesting to note as well that Shoghi Effendi encouraged the believers to study the Dawn-Breakers, which he described as an "unfailing instrument to allay distress". In a letter dated 20 July 1933 written on his behalf, he outlined a method by which the individual might approach this task:

He wishes you to read it with deepest care and to picture for yourself the wonderful scenes of heroism, of devotion and of self-sacrifice so vividly expressed by Nabil in his immortal narrative.

As well, you may wish to reflect on the following statement from a letter written on behalf of the Guardian to an individual believer who was experiencing difficulties in his personal life:

We must not only be patient with others, infinitely patient, but also with our own poor selves, remembering that even the Prophets of God sometimes got tired and cried out in despair! . . .

He urges you to persevere and add up your accomplishments, rather than to dwell on the dark side of things. Everyone's life has both a dark and bright side. The Master says: turn your back to the darkness and your face to Me.

(From a letter dated 22 October 1949 written on behalf of the Guardian to an individual believer)

- The Universal House of Justice, letter to an

individual

individual, 23 October 1994 - view here.

Difficult periods offer opportunities to demonstrate love

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