Steadfastness
- What is Steadfastness?
- How are we Steadfast?
- Why should we practice the virtue of Steadfastness?
- When do we practice the virtue of Steadfastness?
This is the last lesson where we will memorize the prayer “O Thou kind Lord! I am a little child…”
“O Thou kind Lord! I am a little child, exalt me by admitting me to the kingdom. I am earthly, make me heavenly; I am of the world below, let me belong to the realm above; gloomy, suffer me to become radiant; material, make me spiritual, and grant that I may manifest Thine infinite bounties.
“Thou art the Powerful, the All-Loving.”
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One of the most important qualities of a person who truly loves God is steadfastness. No matter what happens in life, we always remember God and our love for Him. Therefore, nothing that others can say or do to us can affect our faith in Him. We love Him and obey His laws and teachings. To remind us that we should remain steadfast at all times, let us memorize the following quotation of Bahá’u’lláh:
Supremely lofty will be thy station, if thou remainest steadfast in the Cause of thy Lord.
GLEANINGS FROM THE WRITINGS OF BAHÁ’U’LLÁH
Meaning Of Words
Supremely
- The gardens were supremely beautiful, more beautiful than any that had ever been seen.
- Maria’s mother made a very special cake for her family. They ate it with great enjoyment and all said it was supremely delicious.
Lofty
- Each night before she sleeps Martha prays and feels close to God. When she goes to sleep her spirit is in a lofty state.
- At the meeting, Kumar is giving a talk about world peace and the goodness of humanity. Kumar is speaking of lofty things.
Remain steadfast
- Her friend keeps telling Rosemary that stars are white spots painted on the sky, but Rosemary has learned that each star is really a far-away sun. Rosemary does not change her mind. She remains steadfast in what she knows to be true.
- Someone told Mona that it is not important to pray every day, but she kept praying because she knew it was a law of God to pray. Mona remained steadfast in following the law of prayer.
Send A Postcard
Story About Steadfastness
Perhaps you know that Bahíyyih Khánum was the younger sister of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá. She was only six years old when their beloved Father, Bahá’u’lláh, was arrested and sent to prison by an unjust government, that was fearful of the truth of the divine message He proclaimed. Her family had been one of the wealthiest in the city. Now all of their possessions were taken away. At times she had only a handful of flour to eat in place of bread.
When her Father was released at last and forced by the government to leave their homeland, Bahíyyih Khánum and her family set out on mules for the city of Baghdád, in a neighboring country. The journey took three months in the bitter cold of winter. Never again would she return to the land of her birth.
For ten years, the family remained in Baghdád, where Bahíyyih Khánum spent the rest of her childhood. Then, suddenly, her Father was ordered by the authorities, still threatened by His growing influence, to leave Baghdád, and Bahíyyih Khánum, now a young woman, went with her family, first to far off Constantinople and then to Adrianople. The danger was at its height. Opposition to her Father grew, and eventually, an attempt was made on His precious life.
After almost five years in Adrianople, living under such stress and strain, dear Bahíyyih Khánum was uprooted once again when the government banished her Father to the prison city of ‘Akká. For some forty years, that gentle soul lived with her family as a prisoner among the worst of criminals within the walls of the desolate city.
During that time the Father she so loved departed this world, and with His passing, it now became Bahíyyih
Khánum’s duty was to support her beloved Brother, Who had been appointed the Head of His Father’s Faith. Many of their friends and relatives, jealous of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, turned against Him. But Bahíyyih Khánum faced each blow with quiet patience and fortitude.
And when ‘Abdu’l-Bahá passed into the next world many years later, Bahíyyih Khánum became the greatest supporter and staunchest defender of His grandson, young Shoghi Effendi, as he took over the duties that fell on him as his Grandfather’s successor. Bahíyyih Khánum was now an old woman, some seventy years of age. Her life had been filled with turmoil and upheaval. It moved from adversity to adversity, from calamity to calamity. But her spirit remained constant, and her heart was always filled with the love of God. She was steadfast and firm. The dignity and joy, the kindness and grace, that were hers as a child stayed with her until the final days of her life.
A Helping Hand
Ask the children to form pairs and hold hands with their partners. First have them walk around the area in pairs, with their eyes open. They should begin with tiny steps, and their steps should gradually become longer and longer. Each pair should take care not to bump into anyone. Then, one partner in each pair should shut his or her eyes, and they should repeat the walking exercise. Now if they are to avoid bumping into anyone, the other child will need to guide his or her friend. Tell them they must use signals given by touch alone. You should help them devise the signals before they start—for example, one squeeze of the hand could mean “stop”, two “go back”, three “turn right”, and four “turn left”.
Rock Painting
Let the kids paint big rocks that could be used as decorations outside, or smaller rocks that could be used as paperweights. Attach the quote to the bottom of the rock or write Stadfastness on it.
Hot Rock Coloring
Heat smooth rocks in an oven at approx 350 degrees for about 15 minutes. Take them out with pot holders and set them on thick mats of newspaper to work on. The kids color them with crayons while they are warm so the crayons melt onto the rocks. This is really fun but make sure the kids are old enough to understand how not to burn themselves on the rocks while they are hot.
Bracelet
Use beads to make a bracelet that spells out STEADFAST(NESS)
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