Day 9
We didn’t have our Ruhi study session today. My Ruhi partner was out of town enjoying some relaxation with her family at the lake. Instead, I focused on other avenues of service. The day started with a home visit and elevated conversation. The home visits are very enjoyable. I’m able to catch up on the news in the families I visit, share ideas and spiritual insights, and simply enjoy the company of each other. Interestingly, the more spiritual the conversations, the more enjoyment I get. I thrive on deep conversations, and the fact that the focus of my Service Project has been on discussing spiritual matters whenever possible, I have had more opportunities than normal for deep conversations.
Today’s conversation included a discussion on how to help individuals who are unable to comprehend imagery in the Writings. Many people with brain injuries can have a very difficult time grasping the imagery in spiritual texts that help us to understand the underlining concepts. For example, “the fingers of one hand” is a phrase often used to illustrate how working together is important. But the concept of unity, collaboration, and interdependence goes beyond just “working together.” And the imagery of the hand and the fingers being intimately connected helps us to understand the deeper spiritual meaning behind the concept. How can we help someone who wants to understand the deeper meanings in the spiritual texts but can’t grasp the imagery being used?
The rest of the day was spent on Ruhi inventory and the logistics that lie behind the distribution of hundreds of booklet sets containing stories about ‘Abdu’l-Bahá. People are excited to receive the booklets and I took time to set up my spreadsheet in preparation. Orders are coming in and I have not received the booklets yet! That is tomorrow’s service.
My Ruhi records are up to date, triple checked, and balanced. Every day I’m receiving requests for particular books. Every day I’m handing a bag of books on my front doorknob so people can come by and pick up their order without having to schedule a time with me. Every day I’m matching an e-transfer to an individual’s order. It’s exciting to help many people get their Ruhi materials so they can participate in study sessions.
I am tired again today so each spurt of energy had to be followed by a resting period. During my resting period, I listened to Part 2 of Tom Price’s talks on Recreating Ourselves in the Image of the Master. This session focused on the quality of “seeing only the good in another.” If we notice negative qualities, we cannot truly love as we are being challenged to do so by the spiritual guidance of our Faith. How can we work collaboratively with others who are different from us, if we focus on what we don’t like about them? How can we build strong communities if we focus on what we don’t like about our neighbours? If we can recognize the positive contributions that others can make to our workplaces, our communities, our lives, then we can build bridges between different cultures, religions, families. A crucial step in achieving the peace that we all so desperately want. And certainly not an easy one to take. Kam kam, ruz beh ruz (little by little, day by day).
Elevated conversations influencing my thoughts for the day. New insights gained. Next steps identified. My 9-Day Service Project has been extended to a 10-Day Service Project.
The path goes on and so do I.
Ms. Martha Urquhart 