The Vision: Closest Companionship, Helpmates, Intimate Friends - but again, how?

My Dear,

Thank you for the good juicy details - thanks for sharing your adventures. :) How is it going with the E* friend? Have you met any other friends you find interesting? Hope you're well.

I went to a gathering last night with about 10 single ladies, and 3 couples (one married - you know her R from Sweden and her new hubby from Ethiopia and 2 dating - all B's) and we read a few things about marriage - i really liked this:


O ye two believers in God! The Lord, peerless is He, hath made woman and man to
abide with each other in the closest companionship, and to be even as a single
soul. They are two helpmates, two intimate friends, who should be concerned
about the welfare of each other.

If they live thus, they will pass
through this world with perfect contentment, bliss, and peace of heart, and
become the object of divine grace and favour in the Kingdom of heaven. But if
they do other than this, they will live out their lives in great bitterness,
longing at every moment for death, and will be shamefaced in the heavenly realm.

Strive, then, to abide, heart and soul, with each other as two doves in
the nest, for this is to be blessed in both worlds. 123
(Abdu'l-Baha,
Selections from the Writings of Abdu'l-Baha, p. 122)

We went around and listened to each other's viewpoints on this and about 2 other quotations. We talked about the need to continually water the tree ...


34. O DWELLERS OF MY PARADISE!
With the hands of loving-kindness I have
planted in the holy garden of paradise the young tree of your love and
friendship, and have watered it with the goodly showers of My tender grace; now
that the hour of its fruiting is come, strive that it may be protected, and be
not consumed with the flame of desire and passion.
(Baha'u'llah, The Persian
Hidden Words)

continually daily be dedicated to each other's happiness and progress, to your intimate friendship, to your marriage, to growing together towards your same goals - to be closer to God.

and now i'm adding more! :)


199. "O God, My God! Aid Thou Thy trusted servants to have loving and tender
hearts. Help them to spread, amongst all the nations of the earth, the light of
guidance that comet from the Company on high. Verily Thou art the Strong, the
Powerful, the Mighty, the All-Subduing, the Ever-Giving. Verily Thou art the
Generous, the Gentle, the Tender, the Most Bountiful."
'Abdu'l-Bahá,
Selections from the Writings of 'Abdu'l-Bahá, p. 2

What i got from this is to pray for help and guidance, to read regularly and get the vision of what a true B marriage is all about - potentially and can be and focus on that and read and talk about that and talk about how to get there.

I got that every day the couple will need to talk about this ideal and beautiful vision (that's one reason why we need to read each am and pm one person mentioned) and find ways to help ourselves and each other go in that direcction together. so lovely.

My question was "How do we become friends with another?" i mean it... i wonder how... to really be friends...

Someone said, "heal yourself, pray and be comfortable and accepting with yourself. When you meet others be comfortable and accepting of them. Don't be quick to judge. Be open. But also realize you can't change them (and they can't change you only we can do that for ourselves). Ask for help to look for the right qualities that would allow you have this kind of deep friendship."

"Question: when you are friends with someone - are you looking for handsomenss/prettiness in friends? Are you looking for a nice car when you make friends? are you looking for a big bank account when you choose a friend? are you looking for a nice body when you realize someone is a good friend? Or just to love and encourage that person together. "

Yeah, i'm sharing :) praying, healing, doing the "Strive"...

How you doin'?
:) Christi

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