My Experience With Sai Baba
Lord Sai Baba's indications are sometimes understood and sometimes they just go unnoticed even if we are keen always. This is His way to deal His devotees. In whatever way He deals with us we are benefited and our faith in Him increases.
Before I begin, I want to take Baba's blessings and request Him to be with me, when I share my experiences with others. If I do a mistake, I request Him to forgive me. Om Sai Ram.
During my childhood, I was an atheist, it was my mother who pressed me and forced me to pray. I did pray, but I never really felt it from within. Whilst in high school, I started reading a book on Lord Krishna and I fell in love with Him. Then on I started worshiping Him. Along with it, I also developed the wrong adamant idea that I should only worship Him. So this was my background in spiritual life.
My father took us twice to Shirdi, when I was in school and college. To me, it was another tourist place back then. But I was drawn by the positive energy and the kind of peace one feel's in Shirdi. Then I used to visit the temple in home town once in a while. I did not really connect to Baba until I got married. My husband is Baba's devotee and he reads Shri Sai Satcharitra. It was he, who suggested me to read the book. I started reading the book and was taken aback by all the stories. But, I don’t know why, I used to feel that I was not doing justice to Lord Krishna, for all His love, which had rooted in my heart deeply, by worshiping Baba now. I read the book daily as I was committed to it and I was also looking for a job at that time. With Baba's grace, within a week or two, I got a job. Because I had a very stubborn feeling and was confused whom to worship, I failed to appreciate Baba's kind blessings. Soon I got busy with job and could not complete reading Sai Satcharitra.
After 8 months, the job that I taken up began to get troublesome and personal life was also not doing well. My job got sore and I had to resign. I was shattered and didn't know what to do. I cried in front of Baba's photo, and requested Him to help me. I have never felt so helpless in my life so far. Within 2-3 days, things started getting normal in my personal life. One day, I was doing Pooja like any other day and thanking God that my personal life is normal now and my eyes fell on 9 Thursdays vrat of Sai Baba, which my mother had gifted to my husband. I opened it and some voice from within said I should do the vrat and also I should finish reading Sai Satcharitra, which I had taken up 8 months back. Baba doesn't forget anything, even if we do, so He always reminds us of our promises. The 9 Thursday vrat book was always there on the rack, but I never gave it a serious look. I began to do some research on the internet about the vrat and got all the details about how to perform the Pooja. I got a little fussy and need to do everything that is there in Pooja Vidhi (method). I don’t live in India, so I cannot get a yellow cloth for Pooja purpose instantly. Soon I remembered, I had plain white cloth, I then cut it into fine rectangle and stitched its edges and dipped it in turmeric water. And there was my yellow cloth ready. Now I didn’t know how to feed the hungry. Next day itself, I got a call from a representative of charitable trust to increase the amount I pay to trust every month. I felt that this is best way and Baba's will and doubled the amount what I used pay every month. I started the vrat and just when I finished my 2nd week, on Thursday, I got to know that we are not suppose to consume salt during any other part of the day apart from one meal. I started feeling that I have done something wrong that’s why Baba doesn’t even want me to do the vrat. But I didn’t give up. I decided to start afresh. I just kept thinking that the whole night.
The next day itself, I got a call for an interview on coming Thursday. I was very nervous as I hadn’t done well in my past 3 interviews. I thought it would be another failure. But, I gathered my morale and started reading for the interview. On the day of interview, the voices within me called out and said have faith. On Thursday, I went to the interview after finishing the Pooja. With Baba's grace, I did well at the interview, and they offered me a job there itself. Generally they do not inform the candidate directly, it happens via an agent. So to everybody's surprise, I got the job, and soon I will be joining them.
Now after reading Sai Satcharitra, meditating on Baba and reading all the wonderful experiences from all the devotees, I have lost all my adamant ideas of differentiating between Gods, and come to realise that "Sab ka Malik Ek" (There is only One God)
I can't thank Baba enough for all His blessings especially for settling my personal life. Now I have finished 2 Thursdays successfully. With His blessings, I will finish the remaining. Dear devotees, time can be tough at times, but never lose faith, have patience and you will come out with flying colours. I pray that may Baba be with all His devotees at all the times. Om Sai Ram.
Source - Anonymous Sai Devotee