Thoughts on Poverty

Today is "Blog Aciton Day." Today, bloggers have been asked to write something about poverty. Poverty was a topic that touched Abdu'l-Baha's heart. He always tried to put other people before himself. Here is a story that illustrates that quality:

Abdu'l-Baha had a very simple wardrobe. He did not like to spend a lot of money on clothes. He wore a very old coat.

One day he was going to be meeting with the Govenor of Akka. Abdu'l-Baha's wife thought that he ought to wear a new coat when going to that meeting. She bought her husband a new coat, an expensive coat.

When Abdu'l-Baha got home, he went to his room to look for his coat. He could not find his old coat. When Abdu'l-Baha discovered that his wife had spent money on a new coat, he told her to return it. He told his wife that he could buy clothes for many other people, by using the money that she had spent on that high-priced coat.

Abdu'l-Baha did not live in poverty. He had access to the money that he needed. Yet he lived very frugally. He did not spend money foolishly. He did not horde money either. He gave away much of the money that he did not spend. I hope that the above story get my readers thinking more about the subject of poverty.