Surrendered. He directs my path (Nimai)

OM SAI RAM

As a child, I lived in "Ukai", a small town in Gujarat. I used to see Sai Baba's photo hanging in our house. I was really young and did not know anything about Baba. My parents said he was a great saint but I never paid much attention to it. But whenever I looked into His eyes, they seemed to follow me. My family was deeply devoted to Sai baba and tried to instill His values in me. 

Time went on, I moved to America when I was 12 years old. I went through a rough phase in middle school and tried to erase everything related to my Indian culture and roots. My parents used to perform Thursday night Aratis at home regularly. Baba’s presence was always in the background because of this and I felt a connection to Him in some way, even through the period of my inner turmoil and conflicts. 

During my college days I was introduced to the Art of Living course. This experience transformed my life and helped me reconnect to my Indian cultural roots. I developed a newfound respect towards my culture. 

In 2012, I found a job in San Jose and moved away from my parents for the first time. I started visiting the Shirdi Sai Parivaar in Milpitas and started volunteering in the kitchen on Thursday nights. When I lost my job, I found more time to visit the temple. This was once again a trying time in my life while I searched for a job. I held on to my faith in Sri Sri Ravi Shankar and Shirdi Sai Baba. With both their blessings I did the Saptah - reading Sai Satcharita in 7 days.  One Sunday afternoon I got a call for a job interview. And with this job, my life transitioned drastically in a positive way. This event showed me the power of belief and faith (Shraddha) in Saibaba. 

I read the Sai Satcharita everyday to remind myself of how He wanted us to live our lives. I am grateful that I have the opportunity to be this close to Baba, to perform His Seva.  By surrendering to Him, I can walk along the path He directs for me.

OM SAI RAM