Work is Worship

"Work done in the spirit of service is the highest form of worship."-Abdu'l-Baha

I've heard this quote many times in my life, and it never resonated with me, nor did I understand it, until now. The last couple of weeks I've really felt the essence of this quote in me. As I've written, I do a lot of different jobs, and so I'm pretty much always busy and pretty much always exhausted by the end of the day. But I'm happy. I feel like I'm on a different level. I feel like my soul is being fed food it's never had before. I'm on a spiritual high.

What the quote means to me is that, when you're working, if you have the mindset that you're working for the betterment of humanity, and that you're contributing to your work place by working together with your fellow colleagues, you are serving God. You are worshiping God and you're elevating your spiritual status by doing work.

I primarily work in the office now, and even though I have about 4 jobs in the offices, I'm in one place, I don't feel like I'm bouncing around from job to job as I previously felt (another answered prayer perhaps!). And I can distinctly remember, it was about a week ago, when I realized how spiritually uplifted and stable and joyous I felt after that weeks work! I can't pinpoint the feeling or adequately describe what I felt, but it's something that I've never felt before. Even though I was super tired from the work day and felt like I couldn't possibly have energy to go to an event that night, I felt accomplished yet humble, centered not scattered...uplifted. It was then that I truly felt like I understood the quote- by working, even though it may be filing or photocopying or mailing out the new membership cards to the whole of Australia (13,000 thank you very much! and we finished this week!!), I am serving Baha'u'llah, I am serving the Faith, I am worshiping God. How fulfilling is that?! :)

So, Australia is getting HOT! It only (only...) got up to 30C this week and I was dyyyyiiinnnngggg. It was humid, yet dry (don't know how that works) and it just felt like I couldn't get cool. This summer is going to be a test. Let's pray, shall we? :) I haven't seen a snake yet, probably means it's not hot enough for them to come roaming around my house yet, so when I do, I'll let you guys know. Hopefully pictures will be part of that post haha. My mom is visiting me for 2 weeks, along with a close family friend, and it's been nice to have a familiar face around. I haven't been homesick, which is good since I've been itching to get out of home for a while now, but mom's are always nice to have around when you're in a different environment. We're heading off to Canberra today (the capital city) for the weekend, Mom's going to be driving...let us pray for that too! Hopefully we'll see some nice sights and sounds of the capital- they have a tulip festival going on that's suppose to be gorgeous, so I hope we get to do that!! Then next week we'll be going to New Zealand for a couple of days. Here's to hoping that I get to go on a hot air balloon ride!!!! Woop!! =D

"It is enjoined upon every one of you to engage in some form of occupation...We have graciously exalted your engagement in such work to the rank of worship unto God, the True One... Waste not your time in idleness and sloth. Occupy yourselves with that which profiteth yourselves and others...The most despised of men in the sight of God are those who sit idly and beg... When anyone occupieth himself in a craft or trade, such occupation itself is regarded in the estimation of God as an act of worship; and this is naught but a token of His infinite and all-pervasive bounty."- Baha'u'llah

"Work, especially when performed in the spirit of service, is according to Bahá'u'lláh, a form of worship. It has not only a utilitarian purpose, but has a value in itself, because it draws us nearer to God, and enables to better grasp His purpose for us in this world."- Shoghi Effendi (Abdu'l-Baha's grandson, who appointed him the Guardian of the Faith, and authorized interpretor of the Writings, after His passing)