Writing in Snow

A Joyful Time of Year

Jalál {Glory), 15 Jalál (Glory), 147 BE - Saturday, April 22, 2017 CE

"Arise, and proclaim unto the entire creation tidings that He Who is the All-Merciful hath directed His steps towards the Ridvan and entered it. Guide, then, the people unto the garden of delight which God hath made the Throne of His Paradise. We have chosen thee to be our most mighty Trumpet, whose blast is to signalize the resurrection of all mankind."

Bahá’u’lláh

This is a joyful time of year. It's the celebration of the Declaration of Baha'u'llah 1863. On the First Day of Ridvan Baha'u'llah entered the garden which the Babi's renamed Ridvan because that was the place of Baha'u'llah's declaration. That was one of the turning points in the history of the Baha'i Faith. Before the Declaration only a few people realized that Baha'u'llah was the one the Bab referred to as "Him Whom God Will Make Manifest". After the Declaration everyone who entered the garden with Baha'u'llah knew and the spread the word to the rest of the Babi community and then to the world.

It's 2017 and the Baha'i Faith is the second most widely spread religion on Earth. It's one of the Children of the Book along with Judaism, Christianity and Islam. Children of the Book because each of those religions has a sacred book revealed to them. The Jewish scriptures are contained in the Tanakh. The Christian scriptures are contained in the Holy Bible. The Islamic scriptures are in the Holy Quran. The Baha'i scriptures are in numerous books revealed by Baha'u'llah. The Baha'is also consider the sacred book revealed by the Bab as one of our scriptures.

I've been a Baha'i for a few decades. I've struggled to live a Baha'i life and follows the laws revealed by Baha'u'llah. My biggest downfall in this struggle is myself. I know there's been times that I failed, perhaps that's why I'm sometimes so depressed. Despite the difficulty I have overcoming my own weaknesses I remain a Baha'i and continue to in my attempts to live as Baha'u'llah would want me to. I continue in my attempt to overcome my failures. Recently I've noticed a change in myself; it's a small change in the way I feel about myself and I can only attribute that change to Baha'u'llah.