Rose and Snow

Little Rose was asked by God where she would like to bloom when sent to Earth. She could choose from beautiful Garden, the side of the refreshing Stream and cold Snow. Rose wanted to know from God why Snow was so cold when Garden and Stream were friendly and spontaneous.

God told her that Snow was in the form of life-giving water and the friendliest one, a long time back. However, constant hurts and betrayals had made him wary of friendship and love and he had become cold, oh, so very cold!

Rose, full of colour, decided. She chose to bloom in Snow believing that her warmth and colour would melt him one day. God warned her gently that she would, till then, have to bear the chill of Snow. Rose said she had already made up her mind.

God was happy and blessed both Rose and Snow.

Ushering in the much awaited, the cherished

What if that which you have been waiting for is knocking at your door? Won’t you rush to welcome it? Most will say, “Of course we will.” However, do we always behave with such confidence? More often than not, we develop cold feet and make excuses for our lack of courage to welcome the change or bring home the new phase of life we have been dreaming for years.

We get signs from the universe that it is about to happen. Our job is to believe in the guidance we are getting and trust that the dream will become reality. Then comes patience, in huge amounts.

If we dare to have faith in our dreams and show the courage to welcome that which we have been craving for, wonders usually happen.

Purest ray serene – love

Love is, in my opinion, the most beautiful of human experiences. It is one emotion that can be felt in whatever we go through, happy or otherwise.

The feeling of love is manifested in four basic ways. The first one is that of universal love. If we can feel compassion for whoever we come across, we are expressing universal love. This is what Vaasudev Krishna means in the Bhagwad Geeta when He tells that the truly educated are ‘samadarshi’ and look upon a dog and a respectable person with equal compassion. It is this love which makes us merciful towards those who had hurt us. It was universal love that made Jesus cry out to God even as he was crucified, “Forgive them, Father; they know not what they do.”

The second type of love is what we feel for people who have made a positive difference to us. We are comfortable with them and life seems incomplete without their presence in some way or the other. These are the people from whom we receive love: usually, our friends and family. This sort of love encourages and empowers us. Such love leaves us with a warm feeling of acceptance. If a friend calls you “the purest ray serene”, can you ever forget it?

The third type of love is exclusive. It is meant for that one person who you love in a way you can love no one else. When this love happens, you understand that it is not mere infatuation or attraction. Deep in you soul, you recognize the person to be your one true love. Whether life gives you the chance to marry that person or not, does not affect your feelings. Just feeling that exclusive love for that special person makes life worth living.

The fourth manifestation of love is for the Almighty. If we can love God as our best friend and see His hand in all that happens in the world, we are endowed with a sense of peace and positive acceptance. We can deal with pain and disappointments when we feel this love which helps us to be patient and to understand that things happen for a reason. This love teaches us that death is not a loss but a moving-on to the next phase of our eternal journey.

Love, thus, is all that matters.

ayeshacgs@hotmail.com

Trusting Him

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/prerna231/message/17265

Often in life, we feel helpless and overcome by pain and a sense of hopelessness. However, if we can trust God and turn to Him, He is there to help us. These are times when all doors seem closed for us and we do not know how we will survive the pain or difficulty we are going through.

If we open our hearts to God and trusting His power and love, ask Him to help us, help does come. Doors open and problems get solved. What had seemed impossible gradually manifests in our lives. Thus, trusting God makes personal miracles happen.

Trust God as your best friend and as the Almighty. He will be there for you in ways that you had not thought possible before.

ayeshacgs@hotmail.com

The Little Boy

Over the last few years, I had been yearning to have a child at home. Whenever I saw a woman play with a child, I would feel an ache within me. Last December, God sent me a child, a boy of five years.

He walked in as a guest and has chosen to stay. Although he is not my son, I feel the joy of motherhood when I play with him and when he hugs me with love only children can give. Perhaps he will go one day, but the love I am sharing with him now has filled the void in my heart. And I am sure that somewhere in his pure heart, I will have a secure place, no matter where he goes.

Prayers are answered and miracles happen.

ayeshacgs@hotmail.com

The Silent Companion

Are we ever totally alone? This is one question I used to ask myself. As a teenager, I had often gone through days when I felt totally alone and completely abandoned. Even when surrounded by family and friends, I had felt there was nobody for me in the universe. And, there was no one to whom I could say what I was going through for fear of being laughed at.

Mercifully, such agonizing thoughts assail me no longer. Even when there is no one physically by my side, I do not feel abandoned. Not that people have suddenly all become very good and kind or my troubles have evaporated completely. I have a companion now who never leaves my side. He is usually silent but I can feel him even in my pulse, for such is his personality. My companion’s presence is enough to nurture and heal me as I fight this battle called life.

If we look inside our hearts, each one of us will find a companion who never leaves us. For some of us, the companion is a soul-mate who understands, for some it is values, for some it is called love and for others, God.

Whatever name you call your silent companion, always remember he is by your side.

ayeshacgs@hotmail.com

Beauty

The concept of beauty is intriguing. What some find attractive, some others might find repulsive. Over the ages, and across different cultures, different types are considered appealing as far as physical beauty is concerned. A certain skin-tone or a particular type of facial features is labeled more beautiful than others. This is just another name for social biases and if a person is on the wrong side of a bias, his life can become quite tough indeed. Moreover, what is in vogue now, becomes outdated very soon.

Whether in favour or not, the beauty of the body fades with time. Wrinkles appear, signaling the inevitable decay that has begun. Colouring hair to hide age does not fool anyone.

However, there is a beauty which does not decay unless we allow it to. If we are confident of ourselves, that is real beauty. When we can look back and see we have lived with honesty and compassion, that is a sure sign of beauty. Seeing God’s hand in the world of Nature and in human affairs adds to the beauty within us.

You have the beauty of the universe within you.

ayeshacgs@hotmail.com

The joy of giving

The first day of the year 2009 and my New Year resolution is to feel the joy of giving. Over the years, and particularly in the last year, I have understood that there is a deep sense of fulfillment when we give.

We can give so much to those who deserve from us. Spending time with someone lonely, playing with children or having a heart-to-heart talk with a close friend are all acts of giving. When we give, we share much happiness with the ones who receive from us. The very fact that we have given joy to someone is a pleasant feeling and so, a gift to ourselves.

Let us give more of universal love or compassion. If we are unselfishly kind and considerate, the law of karma will work in our favour. Sometimes, it takes time but this law never fails. But, perhaps, more important than the result the course of life will bring gradually is the beauty and the courage of being generous. A few words of genuine praise can work wonders in a person’s life. A so-called small act of compassion may perhaps become the life-line for someone.

However, giving should be spontaneous and voluntary; it should not become compulsive or else, there is no joy or blessing left in it. And, let each one of us give the person who perhaps we neglect the most: give yourself. Give yourself the freedom to lead your life free from conditioning by others. Give yourself the right to move on from a dysfunctional relationship. Give yourself the magic of daring to love the one true love of your life.

Give with joy and you will get many times more in return.

“The fragrance also stays with the hand that gives the rose and the hand that receives the beautiful gift is filled with wonder. God Almighty, thus, blesses both the giver and the receiver.”

A VERY HAPPY NEW YEAR TO ALL.