A Tiny Tale of Christmas Joy...

Christmas does hold a special place in my heart, because I studied in a Christian school right from kindergarten till my XII grade. The hymns and carols we were taught captured me because I love music. I also remember the Christmas Day programs we used to put up, the carols we used to sing, the games we used to play to exchange gifts, etc. The spirit of sharing and caring not just during Christmas but throughout the year is something that's got imprinted in my heart after years of studying in a Christian school.

I always worshipped Bhagawan Baba as my personal God at home when I was a child but when I went to school, I had no problem in singing Christian songs and praying to Jesus. That just came from my respect for other religions; that's all. But now I am absolutely convinced that our beloved Bhagawan Baba is ‘The Father’ who sent Jesus Christ to earth and there is absolutely no difference between Him and Christ. All of our prayers and worship reach Him and Him alone, whatever be our religion. He is verily the Cosmic Christ, as mentioned by many Christian devotees who have experienced Bhagawan and His love.

A couple of years ago, on Christmas, I was prompted from within to go over to a Christian friend's house and spend the day with him, his wife and little son. As I hadn't been able to attend his wedding a few years back, I felt this was a nice occasion to take gifts for them. I knew his parents wouldn't be there since they had only recently moved house. Moreover, his friends and relatives were not likely to visit as they would be busy with their own Christmas celebrations.

When I went over, each of them was thrilled with the gift, especially the little one with his remote-controlled car. I too felt happy seeing them in smiles. Silently, in my heart, I thanked Bhagawan for giving me an opportunity to share my joy with them. I felt very happy to see the little fellow very eagerly unwrap his gift and start playing with it.

But what came next simply blew me off! My friend told his son: “See my dear. Your prayers have been answered! You were praying to God that you wanted a gift for Christmas, weren't you? God has sent you a gift now.” I felt like Santa Claus! Really!

I was dumbfounded and I thanked Bhagawan silently for this absolutely humbling experience of using me as His instrument to spread joy in my friend's family. Only then did I realize why He had prompted me to go over to my friend's place.

Well, my joy did not end in my friend's house. After I returned home and logged on to check my e-mails, I was quite surprised to see a mail from one of the clients I was working for at that time. The mail stated that I had received payment for a project I recently completed. I simply could not believe my eyes for a few seconds because the client usually took 30 days to make a payment from the date they receive the edited documents from me.

I had sent the edited documents in the first week of December and so I did not expect the payment any time before the first week of January. So, I was obviously very surprised to see this e-mail on December 25th. I immediately knew this was no coincidence but Bhagawan's Divine Hand at work. I felt it was His way of blessing me and acknowledging what I did that day.

Sharing selflessly and giving without expecting anything in return, with just the sole aim of making others happy — isn't that the true spirit of Christmas? I had no other thought in mind except that I should make my friend and his family happy, since it was a holy and special day for them. I didn't want them to feel bad about missing their usual Christmas celebrations with their parents, relatives, friends, etc. That's the only reason I went to their house.

No good deed goes unnoticed by the Lord and He has His own mysterious ways of showing us His presence! Here's one more coincidence or should I say ‘Sai-incidence’? I received a sms titled ‘Message from God’ that morning which read “Do at least what is within your capacity.” I understood its significance only after reflecting on the day's happenings in the night.

Let us pause and think — what does Bhagawan want us to do? He does not expect Herculean tasks. He only asks us to be thoughtful, take some time to make someone's day, make others happy, etc. These are indeed the little things that brighten up others' lives. Happiness lies in making others happy, isn’t it? Let's start right away, for 'tis the season to be jolly!