“Take one step towards Me, and I shall take hundred steps towards You”, declared Baba many a time. It is one thing to hear this from Bhagawan, but it's another​ feeling altogether when one experiences this emphatic Divine assurance first-hand.

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An interesting experience that happened way back in January 2017 cemented our faith in the Omnipresence of Bhagawan further.

 

The Sai Youth Leaders of Middle East sat down on a weekend of January 2017 to brainstorm ideas on potential Seva opportunities that we can undertake as a group in the region. After several rounds of discussion, we realised that there was one major hurdle ahead of us. After all, Bhagawan didn't make things so simple for us. His tests are always His tastes. We were left totally clueless on our way ahead with one pressing issue with respect to our Seva activities.

 

However, we were convinced beyond doubt that Swami would take care of all our issues come whatever may! We decided to surrender to the Divine Will and felt we should seek the Divine guidance during Bhagawan's upcoming visit to the Middle East. Since the challenge was significantly tricky, we knew only Swami could bail us out.

 

Dream visions are not something alien to Swami's devotees. Dreams always remain a direct source of guidance for His devotees the world over even to this day. From fixing someone's life partner to initiating a deep impacting Seva activity, from cancelling a cancer to offering much-needed solace to an aching heart, Bhagawan continues to provide direct and one-to-one guidance in His own mystical and mysterious ways.

 

A Divine drama unfolded the same night we (youth leaders) discussed ways to overcome this major hurdle in front of us. Bhagawan blessed me with a dream wherein He was granting Divine Darshan to a group of devotees in the Middle East. Radiating the Divine brilliance of 1000 suns, He walked majestically adorning the ochre robe. An elder of our group gave me a push from behind prodding me to approach Swami. Though it wasn't communicated what to ask Swami, it was clear that I was supposed to seek His guidance on the Seva activities that we have been undertaking. After all, only that one thing was bothering us all, day in and day out.

 

After a bit of initial hesitation, I rushed to Bhagawan with a great deal of excitement and thrill. Just as I was about to reach where He was standing, my wife woke me up from sleep for a glass of water in the middle of the night! Alas, the dream was interrupted.

 

I felt helpless, for, it was one golden opportunity for us to seek Bhagawan's guidance on Middle East Seva activities. When I described the dream to my wife, she felt bad that she came in the way of God and His devotee. Before continuing my sleep, I said a heartfelt prayer to Bhagawan to not let us down having come so close. I resumed my sleep with great hopes. However, nothing special happened. Next morning when I woke up, I felt a bit bad about not completing the dream.

 

However, Bhagawan always says "Love my uncertainty". When He has already decided to answer our prayers, He will choose to do it in His own inimitable and unpredictable style. For what followed next was an experience beyond our comprehension. On the very night I had this broken dream, Bhagawan decided to take this to its completion through another youth leader from the Middle East who was a former student of Bhagawan’s college in Prashanti Nilayam.

 

He was blessed with a Divine dream vision, which goes thus: This fellow and another youth leader were both seated at the Lotus Feet of Bhagawan inside a beautiful prayer hall built with white marbles all over. Swami with His ever-beautiful smile was in supreme bliss as always. Since streamlining Seva activities in the Middle East remained top priority for the youth leaders, brother too was waiting for this opportunity to seek Bhagawan's guidance. He mustered up some courage and humbly submitted before Bhagawan our predicament. He shared his concerns with Bhagawan and asked Him for guidance on our way forward!

 

Bhagawan who was wearing a pleasant smile until then, turned bit serious in a trice. After casting a stern look at them, Swami said in a rather authoritative tone, "If I have given you a work, I am very well aware of the issues that can come up in the process. And I know how to take care of them as well!"

 

Assuring us of Divine Grace at all times, He said "You undertake the Seva activities, and I will be with you throughout. Nothing will go wrong." Brother was overwhelmed with the Divine assurance from Bhagawan. We were in tears, when he narrated this beautiful dream, for, all of us had only that single thought of pleasing Bhagawan through Seva activities. It is nothing but His Divine benevolence that He decided to bless us with one-to-one, direct guidance. To top it all, the Supreme Ruler of our country had announced 2017 as a “Year of Giving” wherein citizens, communities and organisations were encouraged to give away in charity to those in need. Clearly, it was only Bhagawan’s Divine Master Plan that aligned our Seva goals with the country’s vision! We couldn’t just brush this fact aside as a coincidence. This is nothing short of a Saincidence!

 

The beauty of this whole experience is that what was left incomplete in one person's dream found its completion in another person's dream. Strange are His ways! We can only surrender to the Divine Will and pray that He continues to use us as His instruments for societal empowerment and personal transformation!

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Alumnus of Sri Sathya Sai Loka Seva Pre-University College, Muddenahalli (2004-06)

Alumnus of Sri Sathya Sai Institute of Higher Learning, Prashanti Nilayam (2006-13)