One June day in New York ‘Abdu’l-Bahá was tired and slept long enough to keep…
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When in Bahá'í history
New York (today: New York, USA)
One June day in New York ‘Abdu’l-Bahá was tired and slept long enough to keep His audience waiting. He then told His friends, ‘While I was sleeping I was conversing with you as though speaking at the top of My voice. Then through the effect of My Own voice I awoke. As I awoke, one word was upon My lips, -- the word “Imtiyaz” (Distinction). So I will speak to you upon that subject this morning.’
Source: Honnold, Annamarie, Vignettes from the Life of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, p. 140
Collected from bahaistories.com (Subject: exhaustion).
Discuss this story
For adults
- If you were to share this story aloud at a devotional gathering, which sentence would you read first?
- How does this story complicate or deepen your understanding of exhaustion?
- Where do devotion and patience meet in this story?
For teens
- What is one quality you'd want to carry forward from this account?
- Which line in this story surprised you the most?
Reflection
- What single image from this story will stay with you?
- Where in your own life are you being asked to practice devotion?
- Read the passage a second time, slowly. What did you notice that you missed the first time?
Comprehension quiz
Which source is "One June day in New York ‘Abdu’l-Bahá was tired and slept long enough to keep…" drawn from?
Where does this story take place?
What period of Bahá'í history does this story belong to?
Which historical figure is featured most prominently in this story?
Cite this story
Various. *bahaistories.com archive*. https://bahaistories.com/subject/exhaustion
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