The Rose Not Yet Opened

A retelling based on The Diary of Juliet Thompson (Kalimát Press; diary entry dated 6 July 1909). The narrative is retold in our own words; the lines in quotation marks are verbatim from the Diary. Read the full text for Juliet's own account.

On the morning of 6 July 1909, in 'Akká, 'Abdu'l-Bahá sent for Juliet Thompson and called her into His room. He took her hands and asked whether she was happy and whether she was well. She told Him she was very happy. He told her He was pleased with her.

Then He asked her for the spoken messages she had brought from the believers in America. He had forgotten none of them, Juliet wrote. She gave Him the message of Sylvia Gannett, whom she described as a peacemaker who never criticized anyone. The Master answered that it was a very good quality not to speak of the faults of others, for many troubles are caused by people speaking against one another.

She spoke of Herbert Rich, and He gave her a private message for him. For Miss Colt, who had sent a very humble supplication, He said:

Give My kindest love to Miss Colt and say: You are worthy of everything.

She spoke of May Maxwell and Mariam Haney, and then of Mr MacNutt, Mr Harris and Mr Hoar, who had come through the difficulties of the past winter. The Master was silent for a moment and then asked whether she could not unite the two groups among the believers. When she said she had longed for years to see them united, He told her she must become more patient, and named several friends who could help her.

Then He asked whether there was anything else. Juliet said there were three things in her heart. The first was a little godchild, named after her, who had been born in very unfortunate circumstances. He said He would pray that the child would be blessed in this world and in the spiritual world.

The second was her brother. "My Lord," she said, "he is like a beautiful rose bud: not yet opened." The Master answered:

I hope this bud will become a beautiful full-blown rose and exhale the sweetest fragrance.

The third was her friend Percy Grant. She told the Master she prayed that he might become a believer. He pressed her hand two or three times, laughed, and asked whether she wanted this very much. She said she did. He answered:

I will pray for this.

But, He added with a smile, she too must make an effort and help him. Then He dismissed her, and she kissed the hem of His garment and left.

A retelling based on The Diary of Juliet Thompson. For the fuller account, see the original.

Thompson, J.. (1947). *The Diary of Juliet Thompson*. Kalimát Press. https://bahai-library.com/thompson_diary