Melting Snow

Friday Contemplations for December 23, 2016

Friday, December 23, 2016

On this day in 1823
A Visit from St. Nicholas
by Clement Clark Moore was published.

The "Blogging Circle of Friends "  prompt for Day 1499
Discuss what self-reliance means to you?

Self-reliance

"...One whose aspiration is lofty and who has developed self-reliance will not be content with a mere animal existence. He will seek the divine Kingdom; he will long to be in heaven although he still walks the earth in his material body, and though his outer visage be physical, his face of inner reflection will become spiritual and heavenly..."

‘Abdu’l‑Bahá, The Promulgation of Universal Peace, 107. Home of Mrs. Sidney E. Roberts1

Self-reliance is a spiritual attribute, a fruit of the spirit, which individual souls develop in their quest for spiritual fulfillment. Some aspects of self-reliance are part of the material or physical world; however, since it is a fruit of the spirit there are many aspects that go beyond the material and physical world of the human being. One of these is the ability of individuals to search for truth themselves. This means that the person must learn to ask questions about what they are taught and even their own preconceived ideas on every subject they encounter before forming an opinion or accepting the opinion of someone else. There are other aspects of self-reliance that will be manifested when the individual lives an unprejudiced life.

The "Blog City ~ Every Blogger's Paradise"  DAY 1018
This 22-year old man appears looking for work, he seems conscientious and considerate but your friends all are warning you? What do you do? Have fun with your imagination.

In a case like this I would tend to give the person the benefit of the doubt. You cannot judge someone by the way they look or even by what your friends and acquaintances say about them. I would be cautious simply because it is wise to be cautious with strangers, but, if possible, I would give the person something to do such as clean up the yard. If I did not have yard work then I would direct the person to Help of Southern Nevada, Catholic Charities or one of the other agencies that help find jobs for people. You cannot judge human beings by the way they look any more then you can judge a book by its cover art.

Footnotes
1  Location of a talk given by ‘Abdu’l‑Bahá.