Having been an active member of the Bahá’í Faith since 1951, many opportunities to attend conferences have come my way.  Hands of the Cause, prominent Bahá’ís, and fiery teachers of the Faith have inspired me – inspired me sometimes until my cheeks burned with the yearning in my heart to serve this Cause.  Again and again inspiration kept me awake at night with hope and longing.  My files are full of lists of how to change my life and wrench myself into a more acceptable person, one able to do what the Cause needs.  But no one noted any remarkable change in my behavior.  I always wondered what I had to offer this wonderful Faith and felt in my heart that even my best service was hardly worthy of this mighty Cause. 

Then the European Task Force for Women called for a conference in De Poort, Holland and Ingegerd Bischoff and I had the privilege of attending as representatives of Denmark.  We were amazed that younger people in our country did not seize the opportunity – surely the Cause needs women with youth and vigor – creative, accomplished, supple, energetic women – not elders stiff with arthritis and guarding artificial hips.  But in those conferences we were treated as valuable servants whose smallest acts were appreciated so lovingly that we began to believe we could accomplish something.  We started to hold women’s conferences in Denmark and gave one in each section of the country.  These were received well and we were invited to travel to Lithuania and Finland.  It made us happy to give back what we had been given.   

At the second conference the Task Force asked me to present a talk on Lua Getsinger.  The fact that they trusted me with this project touched my heart and gave me confidence to accept the challenge.  I had often wondered why we knew so little about Lua, the woman the Master called “Herald of the Covenant” and “Mother Teacher of the West” and who had probably spent more time in ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s household than any other Western woman.  It puzzled me that so many Bahá’ís around the world named their daughters after her without knowing much about her. Why can we find none of her speeches published when speeches given by many of her contemporaries, whose names are now nearly forgotten, are available? 

In looking for answers to my questions about Lua, I found much more material than was needed for a twenty minute talk at De Poort.  In the initial quest enough was uncovered to make a course at winter school in Denmark – and thanks to the Task Force, I was bold enough to volunteer.  Further encouragement urged me to write a book about Lua and I found enough courage to try.  The result is Lua Getsinger Herald of the Covenant published by George Ronald in 1997.  The book is now out of print but occasionally finding my name in a footnote in other publications gives me a glow of pleasure. 

Ordinary paths of service are open to us all – attending the Nineteen Day Feast, serving on assemblies and committees, conducting core activities, having firesides, holding children’s classes, contributing to the Funds, praying – any of us can find plenty to do in this period of growth.   But we each need to believe a fundamental truth -- we must understand that each one of us is of value in this troubled world and that the simplest task may have amazing results.  Perhaps that small, troublesome child in your children’s class is a future member of the National Spiritual Assembly or the Universal House of Justice. 

Each one of us is unique – there is nobody else in the whole world exactly like you or me – and each of us is endowed with gifts that only we can give.  If we don’t offer what we have, who we are, the world has to get along without it.  If we don’t believe we have nobility and worthiness within us, we ignore some very important teachings of Bahá’u’lláh.  The Lord of the Age tells us he has created us noble and asks us to rise for what we were created. 

O SON OF SPIRIT! 

I created thee rich, why dost thou bring thyself down to poverty? Noble I made thee, wherewith dost thou abase thyself? Out of the essence of knowledge I gave thee being. Why seekest thou enlightenment from anyone beside me? Out of the clay of love I molded thee, how dost thou busy thyself with another? Turn thy sight unto thyself that thou mayest find Me standing within thee, powerful, mighty and self sufficient.