A lesson in adversity

It's Friday afternoon, I've just wrapped up work, and my little sisters are hovering around my desk. The younger twin, Naurene, is poking through my things as usual. They come across a bookmark gifted to me by my friend Enas, which reads:

"Be patient (in adversity); for verily, God will not let the reward of the righteous be wasted."

The Holy Quran, Chapter 11, Verse 115.

Naurene (younger by 16 minutes) reads it out loud.

"Do you know what this means? Who wrote this?" I ask her.

"The Quran," she says.

"Yes, but who wrote the Quran?"

"Oh. God." she replies. Farhene is standing next to her, not really showing interest in the bookmark. Farhene has allergic conjunctivits (pinkeye) and is not really interested in anything at the moment. Earlier today she watched Algeria play England next to my dad with sunglasses on, thinking they would make her feel better.

Seeing a few "big" words in the quote (adversity, righteous) I decide to break it down for them.

"What is patient?" I ask.

"It means waiting." replies Naurene.

"And trying to be positive about it. Adversity, you probably don't know that one. It means hardship."

"What is hardship?"

"When you're going through a difficult time, or having bad luck, or if something bad is happening in your life."

The girls both seem to get the hang of it so I move on. "So who wants to tell me what I just said?"

"If we're having a bad day we shouldn't complain," Naurene offers.

"Okay, but that's not the whole thing. Well..what's a reward?"

"Something you win?" asks Farhene, who is now laying on the sofa and facing away from sunlight.

"Or something you're given for being good, right? And what's righteous? What's it sound like?" I continue.

"Right," she says.

"So it means you're doing the right thing, or being good."

"Are you righteous?" Naurene asks.

I don't really have a reply for her. How do you answer that?

"I don't know. I try, so sometimes I guess. We all have to try.

Do we understand what God is saying though?"

Farhene has an epiphany.

"I know! It means if I'm good and don't complain about my pinkeye, He'll make it go away."