Will of God

He then came and sat on the rug beside us and began to speak of

Mason Remey. Oh, to picture Him as He was then -- no longer the Lord, the King, but the tender Father -- a something eager (if I may use the word) in His manner and tone.

He told me He loved Mason Remey so much and He loved me so much that He wished us to marry. That was the meaning of His message to Mason. He said it would be a perfect union and good for the Cause. Then He asked me how I felt about it.

I answered: "I will gladly fulfil Thy wish."

"But what are your inner feelings?"

"Lord, Thou knowest my inner feelings."

"You love this other man? You love?"

"It is secondary now. My only desire is to fulfil Thy Will. Thou

knowest best. My only desire is to give all I have for Thee -- to

give my dearest. I can do this now. This is my opportunity."

"But, my daughter, My wish is for your happiness. You must be frank with Me about it. The inner feelings cannot be forced. In speaking with you just now I was giving you spiritual commands. This is different; this is material, and, in regard to it, I am not

commanding but suggesting. This union with Mr Remey is merely an idea, a suggestion of Mine."

"Thy suggestions and ideas come from the Infinite Wisdom."

"But -- understand Me -- I wish your happiness."

"I should rather follow Thy wish. I should be happier following Thy

wish than in marrying the man I love."

"Well, is it possible for you to love Mr Remey as you do this other

man?"

"Is it possible, Lord?"

"If it is possible to love Mr Remey equally well, for him to take

the place of the other, then I should be glad." He paused a moment. "But your marrying the other is very good, if you can make him a believer. And you must pray for it. If you see that he has an inclination to become a believer, even before he does so, you can marry him. If you can lead him to the Cause this is very, very good. Am I not a kind Father?" He asked . . . Then came a

flash of what I believe to be perception, and this has comforted

me. My Lord, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, Who "saw the end" where I saw "only the beginning" (and in Whose compassionate hands are the lives of all) had, in reality, offered me two choices: first, my own will; then, His Will -- or what appeared to be His Will. Though I played my small part so miserably, at least I chose the Master's Will. When in my extremity I still clung desperately to His Will, He released me from my engagement to Mason Remey. As for "the other man": as I review the whole drama of my connection with his life, ending in tragedy, it is clear that at every crisis, something diviner than fate stood between us. ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, had another plan for me. And this, I believe, was His plan from the beginning.

Diary of Juliet Thompson

The Master knew that God was at the helm. He needed only to move as His Captain wished. He put His affairs in God’s hand and avoided the frustrations and the frenzy most mortals experience. An example of this was when the military commanders of Jerusalem and Damascus came to visit Him. Invited to the Holy City of Jerusalem, ‘His answer to them was, “Inshallah” (If God is willing).’ He was virtually never hurried, never harried. His plans were based upon ‘God willing’ – words He often used.

Honnold, Annamarie, Vignettes from the Life of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, p. 162