The True Lover Yearneth for Tribulation

"O Son of Man! The true lover yearneth for tribulation even as doth the rebel for forgiveness and the sinful for mercy."
                  ~Baha'u'llah, Hidden Word #49 from the Arabic

Scene 1
5:30pm
While driving to Northbrook to facilitate a weekly jr. youth group, I am praying that my desire to feel close to and commune with God can intensify. Music is a surefire way for me to tap into my deep feelings of love and longing for God, but I was praying for even more ways to help me feel that intense desire.

Scene 2
8:30pm
On my way home from the jr. youth group, I am side swiped by a speeding car.  I loose my passenger side mirror, a small panel from the door, and my front bumper is crack in half and dragging on the ground. I was not hurt, and the car is still drivable - thank goodness! I need that thing! The police officer on the scene finally gets everything wrapped up around 11:30pm, after we've gone to the station and singed papers, etc.

Scene 3
Midnight
I'm in my room, wrapped in my evening prayers, feeling grateful for being protected from something worse, and attempting to let go of feeling like I have to protect myself and be tough all the time and take care of every situation, and generally trying to let go of the stress of dealing with the accident,  when this overwhelming desire to flee this world and run to God comes over me. I am in tears! All I want is to shun this world and go home. I don't want to say prayers about protection, or ask anything from Him, all I want IS Him. And then it hits me... I knew in my that tribulations were sent to us so we would yearn for the spiritual world and want nothing to do with this world (among other things), but I was experiencing, in the moment, how that was true. Now, a car accident is no major tribulation, THAT'S for sure. But, I am humbled and thankful and amazed at how quickly my prayer was answered. Nothing is better than that feeling - feeling like ALL you want in the WHOLE world is to be close to your Beloved. That is the most wonderful sadness. I wouldn't trade that for anything. And if tribulation brings it on... well, I MIGHT be yearning for a LITTLE bit of it.

Comments

[missmartha]

Thanks for the post and your point of view in the world. Happy Ayyam-i-Ha and happy Pilgrimage.

[Alexander M Zoltai]

Thank you for reminding me of this prayer:

The hearts that yearn after Thee, O my God, are burnt up with the fire of their longing for Thee, and the eyes of them that love Thee weep sore by reason of their crushing separation from Thy court, and the voice of the lamentation of such as have set their hopes on Thee hath gone forth throughout Thy dominions.

Thou hast Thyself, O my God, protected them, by Thy sovereign might, from both extremities. But for the burning of their souls and the sighing of their hearts, they would be drowned in the midst of their tears, and but for the flood of their tears they would be burnt up by the fire of their hearts and the heat 158 of their souls. Methinks, they are like the angels which Thou hast created of snow and of fire. Wilt Thou, despite such vehement longing, O my God, debar them from Thy presence, or drive them away, notwithstanding such fervor, from the door of Thy mercy? All hope is ready to be extinguished in the hearts of Thy chosen ones, O my God! Where are the breezes of Thy grace? They are hemmed in on all sides by their enemies; where are the ensigns of Thy triumph which Thou didst promise in Thy Tablets?

Thy glory is my witness! At each daybreak they who love Thee wake to find the cup of woe set before their faces, because they have believed in Thee and acknowledged Thy signs. Though I firmly believe that Thou hast a greater compassion on them than they have on their own selves, though I recognize that Thou hast afflicted them for no other purpose except to proclaim Thy Cause, and to enable them to ascend into the heaven of Thine eternity and the precincts of Thy court, yet Thou knowest full well the frailty of some of them, and art aware of their impatience in their sufferings.

Help them through Thy strengthening grace, I beseech Thee, O my God, to suffer patiently in their love for Thee, and unveil to their eyes what Thou hast decreed for them behind the Tabernacle of Thine unfailing protection, so that they may rush forward to meet what is preordained for them in Thy path, and may vie in hasting after tribulation in their love 159 towards Thee. And if not, do Thou, then, reveal the standards of Thine ascendancy, and make them to be victorious over Thine adversaries, that Thy sovereignty may be manifested unto all the dwellers of Thy realm, and the power of Thy might demonstrated amidst Thy creatures. Powerful art Thou to do what Thou willest. No God is there but Thee, the Omniscient, the All-Wise.

Make steadfast Thou, O my God, Thy servant who hath believed in Thee to help Thy Cause, and keep him safe from all dangers in the stronghold of Thy care and Thy protection, both in this life and in the life which is to come. Thou, verily, rulest as Thou pleasest. No God is there save Thee, the Ever-Forgiving, the Most Generous.

(Baha'u'llah, Prayers and Meditations by Baha'u'llah, p. 157)

[Katy]

Yay for being ok and being able to grow from tribulations. It's also helped me to realize that I need to recenter and refocus. Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! I am truly blessed to have you as my friend!

[prema]

yes.
yes, yes, yes.
this brings tears to my eyes.

[Marco Oliveira]

I wish you a spiritual uplifting fast.
Baha’i greetings from Lisbon.
:-)

[Heather]

I'm so glad that you're okay. And, I think it's AWESOME that you have such a clear vision of why these kinds of things happen!