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This is coming late...

I'd this post drafted for Mother's day but somehow it got buried under all the other posts.

When God Made Moms
When the good Lord was creating mothers!!!!!He was into His sixth day of "overtime when the angel appeared and said,"You're doing a lot of fiddling around on this one." AND THE LORD SAID....."Have you read the specs on this order?She has to be completely washable, but not plastic. Have 180 moveable parts... all replaceable. Run on black coffee and leftovers. Have a lap that disappears when she stands up, a kiss that can cure anything from a broken leg to a disappointed love affair, and six pairs of hands." And the angel shook her head slowly and said,"Six pairs of hands...no way." "It is not the hands that are causing me problems," said the Lord,"It's the three pairs of eyes that mothers have to have." "That's on the standard model?" asked the angel. THE LORD NODDED....One pair that sees through closed doors when she asks"What are you kids doing in there?" when she already knows.Another here in the back of her head that sees what she shouldn't,but what she has to know;and of course the ones here in front that can look at a child when he goofs up and say,"I understand and I love you", without so much as uttering a word." "Lord", said the angel touching his sleeve gently, "go to bed, tomorrow....""I can't", said the Lord, "I'm so close to creating something so close to myself. Already I have one who heals herself when she is sick....can feed a family of six on one pound of hamburger,and can get a nine year old to stand under a shower." The angel circled the model of a mother very slowly."It's too soft", she sighed."But tough!" said the Lord excitedly. You cannot imagine what this mother can do or endure." "Can it think?""Not only can it think, but it can reason and compromise", said the Creator.Finally the angel bent over and ran her finger across the cheek."There's a leak", she pronounced."I told you, you were trying to put too much into this model." "It's not a leak", said the Lord. "It's a tear"."What's it for?" "It's for joy, sadness, disappointment, pain, loneliness and pride.""You're a genius", said the angel.THE LORD LOOKED SOMBER..... "BUT I DIDN'T PUT IT THERE".
By Erma Bombeck

Devote yourself

It's not easy to be born as a man and not everybody gets to be born a man; it's the good deeds. The purpose of our life is to devote ourself to the worship of God. One who does that is successful in life. On the other hand those who try to search for happiness in the indulgence of worldly objects will fail miserably because such a practice can only entrap them in a web of pain and suffering. Man associates these worldly comforts with life's happiness but it is because of them that he can't escape the iniquitous cycle of life and death. Remember that this life is transient; it won't last forever. So we should not waste our time and start working on the objective of our life as soon as we can, which is to be a devotee of God.

The road to heaven - Bilvamangal

Ramdas was a devotee brahmin who had a son, Bilvamangal. Bilvamangal was a calm, sober and educated boy. However after the death of his father he fell into bad company and adopted bad practices. During this course he got attracted to a courtesan, Chintamani, and would spend most of his time with her. Once when it was the death anniversary of his father he could not meet her. So he decided to see her in the evening. His friends advised him not to due to the nature of the occasion but he wouldn't listen to anybody. Before he could leave the house, a storm broke out and it started to rain heavily. This too couldn't stop him. He approached the boatmen at the river and asked them to row him over to the other side but none was willing to put their life at stake in such a heavy storm. Not deterred by anything he decided to swim across the river. While swimming he came across a log of wood and decided to use it to float across. Finally he reached the house of Chintamani but the door was shut and it was dark. So he decided to climb over the boundary wall and enter the house. The wall was high so he looked around for some rope when his hands felt some rope hanging from the wall. He climbed using it and entered the house. On hearing the noise, Chintamani woke up and was surprised to see him in this bad weather. She asked him how he managed to reach her house and he told the story. Curious, Chintamani went out with a lamp and was shocked to see that what Bilvamangal used as a rope was a snake and the log of wood was the dead body of a woman. She reproached him for being so blind and selfish. She told him that if instead he had been so madly in love with Krishna he would've attained moksha. On hearing her words, he felt ashamed. From that moment onwards he decided to submit himself to the devotion of God. He would roam all over the jungles and villages singing His songs. One day he came across a beautiful woman. His dark side had not yet completely escaped him and he once more fell into the trap of temptation. He followed him to her house and sat outside. On seeing a brahmin, the house owner came out and asked him how he could help him. Bilvamangal mentioned that if only he could once see the woman who entered the house his heart would be at peace. The house owner being simple-hearted thought that there was no harm in it if just that could appease the brahmin. So he went inside to call his wife. Bilvamangal was God's devotee God couldn't let his devotee commit anything that would lead to his downfall. Soon He caused Bilvamangal to realize what a grave mistake he was doing; how could he stoop so low. As soon as it struck his mind, the owner's wife came outside. Ashamed at himself and cursing his eyes he picked two thorns from a nearby tree and poked his eyes. The owner and his wife felt sad for him but could do nothing for him. Once again Bilvamangal went around villages praising God. He was waiting for the day when he would be able to see God; for whom he was roaming all over the world; for whom he'd forgotten what was hunger or thirst and for whom he'd gone blind. Then one day he heard the sweet mesmerizing voice of a child. The child told him that he had got some water and food for him. Bilvamangal was completely fascinated by the child. He had the food and the water that was brought to him by the child and asked him what his name was. The boy said that irrespective of what people called him, he answered their call. He loved those who loved him. He came daily to offer victuals to Bilvamangal and soon Bilvamangal got attached to the boy. One day he cursed himself thinking that earlier he'd got entrapped in the attachment to a woman and now to this boy. That day the boy asked him if he wanted to go to Vrindavan. Bilvamangal's heart did a merry dance on hearing this but he then told the boy that it would be impossible for him as he was blind. Then the boy offered him a stick and to lead him. So they embarked on their journey. When they reached Vrindavan, the boy told Bilvamangal that he must leave now. Unknowingly Bilvamangal grasped his hand. As soon as he did that he felt some divine energy pass through him and realized that he had got back his sight! And he saw that the boy was none other than God himself!! He was thrilled and told God that he wouldn't let him leave since he's been searching for him all this while. The boy then forcefully took leave of him. At which Bilvamangal said that he may leave physically with force but he can't leave his heart.

Thus, we see that Bilvamangal who was under the claws of bad practices when he became a devotee, not only was he protected from any downfall but in the end he found God.

From a swindler to a saint

Even a person with a bad conduct who becomes a devotee of God is worth being considered a saint. This is because he has decided that God is the supreme power, the omniscient, the always generous, the master of all, the only one who can destroy all your sins and it is the duty of a human being to serve God. This the most significant decision he has made in life. Even though he may not have been able to leave all his bad practices he would eventually. Devotion to God would purify his being and take him away from the temptations. One who is God's devotee is always uplifted in life and never has a downfall. This is illustrated by the story of Bilvamangal.

He loves all

Only those who are completely devoted to God, get him. This does not mean that He is difficult to get. On the contrary, he is equally present in all beings and vice versa. He neither likes nor dislikes anybody. However, those who are his devotees He resides in their heart and they reside in his. If you can't forget him then he can't forget you. That is the greatness of devotion to Him. Just like sunlight is reflected by all objects but it is reflected most in the mirror than in any other object. That's not because the sunlight falling on the mirror is any different; it's because of the mirror.