Obedience

Our new memorization for obedience is:

"Make firm our steps, O Lord, in Thy path and strengthen Thou our hearts in Thine obedience..."

‘Abdu’l-Bahá

We discussed how Baha'u'llah gives us laws and rules to obey so that we stay safe and happy. Obeying these rules ensures that we stay on the path toward God. Choosing not to obey is like stepping off the path into the wilderness and away from God's protection. God has given us our parents to protect us as well, and we must obey them to be safe and happy.

Do you think maybe Mora was excited to be the mail carrier this week? That face right there makes teaching children's classes SO worth it. 

Stories of Abdu'l-Baha have become a central component of classes this year.  I told the children the story of Lua Getsinger and the poison ivy. Abdu'l-Baha was hosting a unity feast outside of New York City. He had recently asked Lua Getsinger  to go to California without him, but she could not bear the thought of leaving his side. So during the Feast, she snuck out into the woods and walked barefoot through poison ivy. When Juliet Thompson informed him of Lua's condition the next morning, he laughed, handed her an apple and a pomegranate, and told her they would cure Lua. This time, she obediently did as she was told. She did make one more attempt at getting out of the trip, but again Abdu'l-Baha urged her on toward obedience.    

See that? Wrapt attention with only a plastic apple and pomegranate for props. It's all about the dramatic presentation, folks. 

We practiced following directions by getting our yoga on.

butterfly pose

spinal twist

and a final leap frog over to art. 

They illustrated our obedience quotation after a little lecture on the importance of creative, careful work. (ie. no quick scribbling in order to finish as quickly as possible and the run like crazy folk around the room.) 

too funny not to include. 

virtue journals

And, completely coincidentally, pomegranate for snack! (Nice one, Sawka family.)