Melting Snow

Tests a Healing Medicine

Istijlál (Majesty), 11 Asmá’ (Names) 175 B.E. - Thursday, August 30, 2018

"O Thou Whose tests are a healing medicine to such as are nigh unto Thee, Whose sword is the ardent desire of all them that love Thee, Whose dart is the dearest wish of those hearts that yearn after Thee, Whose decree is the sole hope of them that have recognized Thy truth! I implore Thee, by Thy divine sweetness and by the splendors of the glory of Thy face, to send down upon us from Thy retreats on high that which will enable us to draw nigh unto Thee. Set, then, our feet firm, O my God, in Thy Cause, and enlighten our hearts with the effulgence of Thy knowledge, and illumine our breasts with the brightness of Thy names."

Bahá’u’lláh1

This is my first entry in five days because my computer was down, and my only internet access ways my smartphone with its virtual keyboard. There are numerous things you can do online with a virtual keyboard, unfortunately none of those things having anything to do with copying and pasting. I dealt with it, and I found that "tests are a healing medicine." Tests are also inspiring, while helping a person accomplish items that were on the procrastination lists. I have encountered several of these tests and difficulties over the last five days.

Over the past five days, I have cleaned off the bed in the second bedroom. I put my journals into gray and blue storage cases. I found the Baha'i books that I want to give to the Baha'i library, and am in the process of finding someone to come and pick them up. I finished reading one novel and started another. I accessed the web on my smartphone, which suddenly wasn't smart enough to do everything I wanted to do. I didn't let that stop me from posting because I can compose and save with the virtual keyboard, but more complicated stuff is out of the question.

                   My smartphone
                   isn't smart enough
                   and it's got me in a huff
                   because it won't let me either copy and paste
                   or compose anything in haste
                   without misspelling a word.

My experiences over the last five days didn't throw me into a deep depression. Instead of focusing on what I couldn't do, I focused on what I could do and continued to prayer. I wrote a five item gratitude list everyday. It's amazing what I could find to be grateful for.

Footnotes
1  Prayers and Meditations by Bahá’u’lláh, CXXXIII: “O Thou Whose tests are a healing medicine to such as are nigh unto…”.