Lua came to Grace and told her that it was the wish of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá

Lua came to Grace and told her that it was the wish of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá that she marry Harlan Ober. Grace was shocked . . . "How could I think of marrying Harlan Ober?" Lua smiled, "I'm only repeating ‘Abdu’l- Bahá's request", she said gently. So Grace quickly put the idea out of her mind. The next morning, Lua came the second time to deliver the same message. Again Grace dismissed it all as being utterly fantastic. The third morning when Lua came she added her own remarks to the message. "You'd better really consider this, Grace, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá does not make suggestions lightly." Grace, this time, realized how serious this was. "But what does He want me to do? Write to Harlan Ober, whom I scarcely know – and propose to him? How could I? Oh, Lua I do want to be obedient but how on earth can I?" Lua hugged her and patted her consolingly. "I'll do it", she said. "I know Harlan very well – it was through me he came into the Faith. I can do this easily." So Lua wrote to Harlan – and Harlan, radiant at the thought that he was obeying a suggestion of his beloved Master, took the next train to New York from Boston where he lived. He came at once to see Grace and together they went walking through Central Park where he proposed and Grace, still dazed and uncertain, accepted – because it was the will of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá.

Source: Earl Redman, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá in Their Midst, p. 135

Collected from bahaistories.com (Subject: obedience).

Various. *bahaistories.com archive*. https://bahaistories.com/subject/obedience