Beautiful Words an all-ages coloring book for heart and mind
T
he first Beautiful Word in our coloring book is Noble. If we were asked to describe ourselves, we might say how tall we are, or the color of our hair, or the things we wear. But the quote here is telling us that, underneath those things, we are something more; we are Noble; we were created that way. The word noble is often used to describe a king or queen. But the Nobility we’re talking about here does not come from a crown or a throne. It doesn’t put us above or below each other; it is a Nobility that connects us to our true nature. There are a few popular ideas these days that claim we are created selfish, that we can only pretend to be noble. But these ideas only see a small part of a big picture. They focus on the outside of human beings and don’t consider what’s happening on the inside. And there is a lot happening inside of us. You could think of this inner world as a mine filled with priceless gems. These gems aren’t diamonds or rubies; they are the powers of our soul kindness, patience, humility, sincerity, and many others. These hidden gems are very powerful, more powerful even than the crown of a king. Notice, too, that the quote doesn’t say, “Perfect have I created thee.” We are not perfect. We will make many mistakes. We may have already made a few mistakes today. That doesn’t mean we were created bad. It means we’re learning, and our ability to learn, reflect, and gain knowledge is proof of our Nobility. On the following page, we see a boy from an African tribe in Kenya. He’s been given the important task of watching over the goats all by himself because he is responsible and trustworthy. The goats feel safe with him because he is kind and courageous. All of these are his Noble traits. Even the rising sun seems to be giving him a Noble crown. (The word thee is an old-fashioned, beautiful way of saying you. Thee rhymes with Tree.)
Noble have I created thee...
F
riendship is one of the greatest things in life. Just hearing a friend’s laughter, seeing their smile, knowing they are there for us is a source of joy and comfort. Having a true friend is indeed a precious gift, but we should also ask ourselves, “Am I a true friend, too?” It is good to say that someone is our friend, but the quote here is holding us to a much higher standard. We must show our friendship in actions. What’s more, our friendships must be expansive, continually growing outward, seeing no one as “other” but regarding all as deserving of the same love we feel for our friend. In this way, our friendships will become forces of love in the world! In our coloring page we see a girl standing alone and looking a little sad. But here comes a group of friends, expanding their joy and friendship to include this new person. This is how our friendships must be, reaching out to all who cross our path. There is another part of true friendship that is extremely important and often neglected; we must avoid using our friendship to gossip about others. We may think gossip brings us closer to our friends, but in truth it makes our friendships weak and uncertain. If our time together is filled with talking about other people, how can we be certain our friends don’t talk about our faults to others? Our friendships may start to fade or even be lost altogether. Gossip hurts everyone - the person talking, the person we talk about, and the person who hears it. In the background of our picture, we see the Eiffel Tower, a famous landmark in Paris, France; as it happens, this quote on friendship was spoken right there in that beautiful city by a man called ʻAbdu’l-Bahá in the year 1911. Later, He travelled to other western countries, including America where He stayed for nearly eight months. Someday you may want to read stories about ʻAbdu’l-Bahá’s travels in America. Wherever He went, He was the perfect example of how to be a true friend; He truly loved everyone who crossed His path.
Do not be content with showing friendship in words alone, let your heart burn with loving-kindness for all who may cross your path.
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