Meera Bakshi is a Sai Devotee who would share her experiences on Sathya Sai and mother India with Sai Family. Enjoy ! Sairam !
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Friday, November 24
SHARING WITH READERS:
This week's promise: God is always calling us back to him
Have you embarrassed your heavenly Father?
"Such people claim they know God, but they deny him by the way they live.
Titus 1:16 NLT"
Embarrasing God
"Not so long ago I saw a man shopping in a grocery store while his young son ran up and down the aisles. The boy was unleashed and hyper, making a complete nuisance of himself. The father kept calling his son's name, but the boy only ran faster—up one aisle and
down the other.
Just as the father caught up with him, the boy reached out and grabbed a handful of candy bars. The father tried to take them away, but the boy held on tightly. Then he started to scream. It was a high-pitched, piercing scream that reverberated throughout the store. Clerks and customers turned to look from every direction as the frustrated father tried his best to
squelch his son's cries. The boy only screamed louder and started to kick. Finally the father let him go, and once again he ran down the aisle with all his might, chocolate still clutched in his greedy little grip.
I caught a glimpse of the father's face. It was the look of complete and total embarrassment. Although I'm sure he loved his son dearly, at this moment he was ashamed to be his father.
Do you think God ever feels that way with his children? Imagine how he must feel when we become so earthly minded that we run through life, ignoring his voice and oblivious to his warning, grabbing things as we go and holding them tightly.
Do you think God doesn't get embarrassed by the way his children act? Out life is a reflection of his authority. And when we disobey, he is the One the world scoffs at.
from Embracing Eternity by Tim LaHaye, Jerry B.
Jenkins and Frank M. Martin (Tyndale) p 148 "
Arizona, November 15th, 2006
Once or twice in the past we had been to Shiradi and once we had Darshan of Baba in person at Dharmakshetra. He was there for the celebration of his Birthday.
Those Shiradi visit and Dharmakshtra Visits were also like miracles. One can visit Shiradi only with Baba's permission, is our first hand experience!
My younger sister's marriage prasang was over and we (my family of 4!) were still at my mother's home. My yougest sister,(another miracle of Baba!, she is almost the other side of the coin, i.e. she is a duplicate copy of me, she is ten years younger to
me!) said, why don't we go to Shiradi? Anyway we have all the food left over from this marriage event and we have as such nothing special to do and while Miren is here, let's go!
Everybody welcomed her idea! We all got excited to have a wonderful change. We packed up and were ready to start from home and suddenly from nowhere, it started raining very very heavily! One can not even see beyod 10 feet! So my husband said, it is not safe to travel in such heavy rain. My younger son was of 2-3 years at that time. Very sadly we sat down with sulky faces. The rain stopped and bright sun came out. Manali, my youngest sister could not sit quiet, again she insisted to start the journey.
Again we all were ready and LO! Again it started raining heavily and loud thunders and lightening in the sky. So much so that the lightening stroke the tree besides our home. You can imagine how dangerous the tree on the petrol pump to be hit by lightening! Great catastrophe can happen! Anyway, my husband now became very firm and said,
"NO, we are not going in this uncertain weather!!" And the stormy winds subsided, rain stopped and we were sitting there with disappointment of not making a trip of Shiradi!
My mother suggested, ok, since we have everything packed up , why not go to chowpatty and enjoy the evening, so at least we are not sitting home with hanging jaws! Yes, that plan was accepted by Baba too, it seems! We enjoyed the time at Chowpatty.
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But still my sister kept on bugging to go to shiradi. So on certain week-end we again planned to go to shiradi. We could start with no problem this time.
My mother said she has visited shiradi several times and booking for staying accommodation was not necessary. But when we reached Shiradi, the place was
jam-packed. No room to place a foot! The clerk at the desk said, you can leave your luggage/ belongings in the locker and have darshan etc. and at nighttime we will provide each of you a Gaddi and a pillow in this huge hall. We had no choice! We left our baggage at the luggage locker and stepped out to visit Shiradi places.
Since we were too tired of journey, we first made a stop at a chaay Laari! The smell of ginger and elaayachi and the unique way of preparing tea by that laari owner fascinated us and we sat on the bench of that laari and ordered the tea. We were just chitchatting and having fun and suddenly we noticed that Manaali was shivering like a leaf in a windy weather! We all got concerned / we requested the tea maker to hurry up and as soon as the tea was ready we headed towards Dharma shaalaa with our cups of tea in
our hands. We took her inside and the clerk at thedesk was surprised to see us back so soon! Upon learning the situation, he gave us plenty of gaddis to throw over my shivering sister. He apologized that being summer he did not have blankets! And looking at the circumstances, he said he would allot us a room as soon as one is available.
We got a room in a while and we made Manaali comfortable there. With in half an hour she was back to normal! No shivering, no fever! So when she felt better we again stepped out for Darshan of Baba. But we were still amazed how Baba provided us a room in almost impossible situation of that rush time at Shiradi!
Jai Sai Ram.
Arizona, November 14th, 2006
I would consider this incident a miracle too!
I live in Arizona. In the Spring season, one could see so many birds in one's courtyard which includes the humming birds too! I love watching these tiny little birds. Yesterday, the thought of not being able to see the humming birds as now the season is almost over, I was little sad.
My drawing-room was rather dark as the blinds on the balcony side were closed and the adjuscent room's door was ajar as my husband was giving music tuition, so light coming from that room was not possible, either.
Someone called and I had to answer the phone while I was actually working on my computer so while talking on the phone, instead of adjusting the blinds, I got up and opened my apartment's main entrance door to let the afternoon sunlight brighten my room. It's very safe to keep the door open here in Sierra Vista, at least in our apartment complex! :)
And what I saw! The humming bird showed up from nowhere...flew near the light fixture on the wall on the outside of our door and flew around here for a few seconds and was gone!
Who other than Baba would perform such a miracle?!?!? May be HE made me open the door so that HE can have me see the humming bird!
I felt very happy to see the humming bird at my door!
Thanks Baba for your love and care.
Jai Sai Ram.
Meera Bakshi
Visit Meera´s Paintings at:
www.soundofindia.com/meera
