If a blow comes to you from Heaven....by Rumi

If a blow comes to you from Heaven,
be alert to a gift of honor after it;
for He is not the King to slap you
without giving you a crown
and a throne on which to rest.

The whole world
is worth only a gnat's wing,
but a single slap
may bring an infinite reward.

Slip your neck nimbly
out of this golden collar
that is the world,
and take the slaps that come from Beloved.

The Loved Ones suffered
those blows on the neck,
and from that affliction
they lifted their heads high.

But always be present, attentive,
and ready in yourself,
youthful one, in order
that He may find you at home.

Otherwise He will take back
His gift of honor,
saying
"I found no one there."

~ Rumi
Mathnawi VI: 1638-1643
Version by Camille and Kabir Helminski
"Rumi: Jewels of Remembrance"
Threshold Books, 1996